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The meaning of the word herostratus

herostratus in the crossword dictionary

New explanatory dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova.

herostratus

The name of a Greek who - in order to immortalize his name - in 356 BC. burned the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus (considered one of the seven wonders of the world).

Usage as a symbol of a person who is ready - to go down in history, to achieve fame - to do something. reprehensible, even by destroying or destroying smth.

Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1998

herostratus

Greek from Ephesus (M. Asia), burned in 356 BC. e., to immortalize its name, the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus (one of the 7 wonders of the world). In a figurative sense, he is an ambitious man who seeks fame at any cost.

Herostratus

(Herostratos) (years of birth and death unknown), a Greek from the city of Ephesus (M. Asia), who burned in 356 BC. e. the temple of Artemis of Ephesus (considered one of the 7 wonders of the world), in order to immortalize its name. According to legend, the temple burned down on the night of the birth of Alexander the Great. By decision of the inhabitants of the Ionian cities, the name of G. was consigned to eternal oblivion, but the ancient Greek historian Theopompus (4th century BC) mentions it. The name G. has acquired a common meaning; it is used to describe ambitious people who seek fame at any cost.

Wikipedia

Herostratus

Herostratus- a resident of the Greek city of Ephesus (now the territory of Turkey), who burned the famous Temple of Artemis in his hometown in the summer of 356 BC. e.

According to the story of Theopompus (as reported by Valery Maxim), Herostratus confessed during torture that he set fire to the temple so that his name would be remembered by his descendants. The Ephesians sentenced him to death and decreed that his name should never be mentioned. However, the ancient Greek historian Theopompus, who spoke about the crime of Herostratus, preserved this name for posterity.

Examples of the use of the word herostratus in literature.

On the fateful night of three hundred and fifty-six, a resident of Ephesus, a market merchant named Herostratus, burned the temple of Artemis.

Cleon and Herostratus They look at each other in silence for a while: Cleon - calmly and even with some curiosity.

Just don't try to lie, Herostratus, otherwise the truth will have to be told under torture!

Yesterday at the market a fortune teller shouted that Herostratus- the son of Zeus, and many reverently listened to her words.

Do you remember, then, in the palace, I didn’t believe your words that Herostratus burned the temple out of vanity.

Only Herostratus He couldn’t agree for nothing, he probably demanded something in return.

I love my wife very much Herostratus, but I’m old and don’t have the right to ask her for reciprocity.

Listen, Herostratus, I turn to you in the hope that your soul retains the remnant of conscience!

They say that Herostratus burned the temple of Artemis on the very night, July 21, when Alexander the Great was born. This was a clear omen that the fate of Asia Minor was decided: the great commander was destined to completely subjugate it - it was not for nothing that Artemis, present at his birth, was distracted and could not protect her temple..

The Temple of Artemis of Ephesus is located in Turkey, near the city of Selcuk, which is located in the south of the province of Izmir. The city of Ephesus, in which the temple was installed, does not exist now, whereas several thousand years ago more than 200 thousand people lived here, and therefore it was considered not just a large city, but at that time was a real metropolis.

Due to earthquakes, it was decided to build a temple of Artemis in a swamp

The first settlements appeared here long before the appearance of the city itself (about 1.5 thousand years BC) - the area near the Caistre River was ideal for this. Ephesus appeared later, in the 11th century. BC e., when the Ionians came here and, having captured the territory, discovered that the cult of the ancient goddess “Great Mother” was extremely revered here. They liked the idea, and they only slightly modified it according to their mythology: they began to worship Artemis, the goddess of fertility and hunting (the ancient Greeks considered her the patroness of all life on earth, female chastity, a happy marriage and the guardian of women in labor). And several centuries later, a majestic temple was built for her, which contemporaries almost immediately included in the list of wonders of the world.

Ancient city of Ephesus

The money for the construction of the temple was given by Croesus, the last king of Lydia, famous for his legendary wealth. Khersiphron from Knossos worked on the building project, who encountered a number of unexpected problems during the construction of the sanctuary, and therefore he applied several non-standard and original engineering solutions. It was decided to build the temple from marble, however, no one knew where exactly it could be obtained in the required quantity. They say that chance helped here: sheep were grazing not far from the city. One day the animals started a fight among themselves, one of the males missed his opponent, but hit a rock with all his might, from which a huge piece of marble fell off due to a strong blow - so the problem was solved.

The second unique feature of the Temple of Artemis was that it was built in a swamp. The architect Khersifron came to such a non-standard solution for one simple reason: earthquakes happened here often - and houses, including churches, were often destroyed for this reason. The marshy soil will soften tremors, thus protecting the temple. And to prevent the structure from settling, the builders dug a huge pit, filled it with coal and wool - and only after that they began to build a foundation on top.

The Temple of Artemis was considered the largest sanctuary of the ancient world: its length was 110 m and its width was 55 m. Along the walls on the outside of the temple, the roof was supported by 127 columns 18 m high. The walls and roof of the sanctuary were decorated with marble slabs. The inside walls of the temple were decorated with sculptures made by Praxiteles and reliefs carved by Scopas. In the middle of the temple there was a fifteen-meter sculpture of the goddess, which was made of ebony and ivory, and decorated with precious stones and metals. Since Artemis was revered as the patroness of all living things, animals were depicted on her clothes.

View of the ruins of the Temple of Artemis

The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, unlike other similar buildings, was not only the cultural and spiritual center of the city, but was also a financial and business center: there was a local bank here, negotiations took place, transactions were made. It had complete independence from local authorities, and was governed by a college of priests.

However, the temple did not stand for long - about two hundred years. In 356 BC. e one of the residents of the city, Herostratus, wanting to become famous, set fire to the sanctuary. This was not difficult: although the building itself was made of marble, many of the works in the middle were made of wood.

Even the Persians, who captured Ephesus in 396 BC, did not dare to encroach on the temple. e. The Greeks were sure that the goddess herself personally stood guard over her sanctuary. The authorities of Ephesus, and even ordinary townspeople, were worried about the question: why did Herostratus do this? The official version says that Herostratus set fire to the temple of Artemis to become famous. True, the Greek historian Theopompus argued that Herostratus gave this confession under torture. Based on modern laws, this makes the recognition of Herostratus insignificant. Theopompus's works have survived only partially, but the arson of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, described by him, attracted the attention of the Roman writer Victor Maximus, who lived in the 1st century AD. e. He included, in his opinion, the instructive story of Herostratus in his book, after which this story spread throughout the world, and the name of Herostratus became a household name. If Herostratus really set fire to the temple, and did not become an innocent victim of ancient Greek justice, then he achieved his goal - his descendants remember him two and a half millennia later.

The temple is the center of Ephesus, independent from the authorities, subordinate to the priest

Let's try to find other possible motives for the crime in Herostratus's actions. Greek cities on the coast of Asia Minor find themselves in the power of a strengthened Persia. In 396 BC. e. the Persians captured Ephesus. Most of Herostratus' compatriots hid their hatred of the Persians until better times. Herostratus, a desperately reckless resident of the city (evident from the arson), could belong to a narrow circle of people who did not want to come to terms with the current situation. The famous fellow countryman of Herostratus, Heraclitus of Ephesus, believed that everything changes, it is impossible to step into the same river twice - new waters flow towards the one who enters, and so a person’s life is constantly changing, and these changes occur as a result of struggle. In addition, Heraclitus considered the world process to be cyclical; after the “great year”, all things turn into fire, and from the fire they arise at the beginning of the next cycle.

Reconstruction of the Temple of Artemis

The Temple of Artemis was restored quite quickly - already by the beginning of the 3rd century. BC e. — at the same time, the construction of the new sanctuary was financed by Alexander the Great. The construction work was entrusted to the architect Alexander Deinocrates: during the reconstruction, he completely adhered to the previous plan of the building and only slightly improved it, raising the temple slightly higher, on a higher stepped base. The second temple of Artemis was in no way inferior to the first and looked no less magnificent. Therefore, the Ephesians, in order to thank Alexander the Great for his patronage of the arts, decided to install a portrait of the commander in the temple and ordered the work from Apelles, who depicted the commander with lightning in his hand.

Alexander the Great was born on the night of the burning of the Temple of Artemis.

The restored Temple of Artemis stood a little longer than the first. Its destruction began in 263, when it was completely plundered by the Goths. And another century later, in the 4th century. n. e. after Christianity was adopted and paganism was prohibited, the sanctuary of the fertility goddess was destroyed: the marble was dismantled for other buildings, after which the roof was demolished, violating the integrity of the building, because of which the columns began to fall - and they were gradually sucked into the swamp.

Alexander the Great on a fragment of an ancient Roman mosaic from Pompeii, a copy of an ancient Greek painting

To date, only one 14-meter column has been restored, which turned out to be four meters lower than it was originally. Subsequently, the Church of the Virgin Mary was built on the foundation of the destroyed Temple of Artemis, but it also has not survived to this day - which is why the location of the ancient temple was completely forgotten.

His name was remembered by his descendants. The punishment was execution and, as the highest measure of punishment, an order for his complete oblivion. For this purpose, special heralds were hired, who for many decades traveled throughout Greece and announced the following order: “Do not dare to remember the name of the mad Herostratus, who burned the temple of the goddess Artemis out of ambition.”

But the ancient Greek historian Theopompus, who spoke about the crime of Herostratus, preserved his name for posterity. Later, the works of Theopompus, preserved in fragments, became the basis for the work of later historians (Strabo, Aulus Helius, Valerius Maximus), who also talked about the arson of the temple of Artemis and, accordingly, about the criminal himself. Thus, Herostratus achieved his goal: he acquired immortal, albeit shameful, glory - the glory of Herostratus.

On the site of the burned temple, the residents of this city built a new temple of Artemis of Ephesus, called the “miracle of the world.”

Reflection in culture and literature

The expression “Herostratus’s glory” became a catchphrase, denoting glory equal to eternal shame; the shameful fame of a man who became famous only by destroying what others had created. The expression exists in different versions and phrases: “Herostratus’s glory”, “Herostratus’s laurels”, “to gain Herostratus’s laurels”.

Also, the act of Herostratus was reflected in literature. In 1939, a collection of short stories “The Wall” by the French philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre was published, where one of the short stories is called “Herostratus”.

Literature

• Herostratus (English). - in Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

Categories:

• Personalities in alphabetical order
• Personalities of the 4th century BC. e.
• Persons:Ancient Greece
• Born in Greece
• Vandals
• Metaphors

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Synonyms:

See what “Gerostrat” is in other dictionaries:

- (Greek). A native of Ephesus, who in 365 BC burned the magnificent temple of Diana in Ephesus just to gain fame for himself in some way. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. HEROstratus Greek ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

See ambitious Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M.: Russian language. Z. E. Alexandrova. 2011. herostratus noun, number of synonyms: 2 ... Synonym dictionary

Greek from the city of Ephesus (M. Asia), burned in 356 BC. e., to immortalize its name, the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus (one of the 7 wonders of the world). In a figurative sense, an ambitious man seeking fame at any cost... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Herostratus, Ηρόστρατος). Destroyer of the Ephesian Temple of Artemis in order to become famous (356 BC). Indeed, history has preserved his name. (Source: “A Brief Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities.” M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, edition by A. S. Suvorin ... Encyclopedia of Mythology

Herostratus- HEROSTRATE, an ancient Greek from the city of Ephesus (Asia Minor), burned in 356 BC, in order to immortalize his name, the temple of Artemis of Ephesus (one of the 7 wonders of the world). In a figurative sense, an ambitious person seeking fame at any cost. ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

I. (foreign) mad destroyer of works of art Wed. You attacked Pushkin so good-naturedly that we cannot in any way mistake you for an ardent Herostratus. Dostoevsky. Crete. Art. 3, 1. Wed. Only at the end of the last century some... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary

A; m. [Greek Herostratos] [with a capital letter] ◊ Laurels, glory to Herostratus. He who seeks glory and fame at any cost does not stop at senseless destruction, the destruction of anything. ● By the name of a Greek from the city of Ephesus, who burned in 356... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Herostratus- (Greek Herostratos) (IV century BC) Greek from Ephesus (Asia Minor). The thirst for glory pushed him to set fire to the Temple of Artemis in 356, which was considered one of the 7 wonders of the world. By decision of the city residents, G.’s name was consigned to oblivion, but he is mentioned ... Ancient world. Dictionary-reference book.

Herostratus- a, m. 1) Greek, who in 356 BC. e. burned the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus (Asia Minor). 2) transfer An ambitious man who seeks fame at any cost. Etymology: Greek Hērostratos. Encyclopedic commentary: The Temple of Artemis of Ephesus was considered one of... Popular dictionary of the Russian language

GEROstratus- A resident of Ephesus, where the Temple of Artemis was located, considered one of the seven wonders of the world. To become famous, in 356 BC. e. Herostratus burned this temple... Dictionary-reference book on Ancient Greece and Rome, on mythology

In the section on the question What made Herostratus famous? given by the author May Yubkina the best answer is Herostratos (years of birth and death unknown), a Greek from the city of Ephesus (M. Asia), who burned in 356 BC. e. Temple of Artemis of Ephesus (considered one of the 7 wonders of the world), in order to immortalize its name...
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The city of Ephesus on the coast of Asia Minor, north of the river. Meander was the center of veneration for the goddess Artemis, whose cult merged with the cult of the local goddess of fertility, depicted as a nursing mother. In the 6th century. BC e. began the construction of a temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis. It was decided to build the temple on swampy soil, having previously strengthened the foundation in order to avoid destruction from earthquakes that were frequent in those places. Architects Khersifon and Metagen from Fr. Crete erected a rectangular temple (55 x 105 m), which was surrounded by 127 Ionic columns 18 m high. There were 8 columns in each of the two rows of the main facade. The construction of the temple was completed 120 years later by the architects Peonitus and Demetrius. In 356 BC. e. A resident of the city of Ephesus, Herostratus, deciding to perpetuate his name, set fire to the famous temple: the walls were damaged, the roof collapsed. It was decided to rebuild the sanctuary. Using the collected funds, the architect Kheirokrat rebuilt the temple, making minor changes: the base of the temple was raised and the number of steps was increased. Inside there was a huge statue of Artemis in the form of a nursing mother (15 m). The sculpture was made of wood, clothing and jewelry were made of gold. The following centuries brought a lot of destruction: in 263 the temple was plundered by the Goths, during the Byzantine Empire the marble slabs of the temple were used for other buildings, and later a Christian church, which has not survived, was erected on the site of the temple. But the greatest destruction was caused by the swampy soil on which the temple was located. As a result of excavations, the foundation of the structure and fragments of columns decorated with reliefs have now been found (now in the British Museum).

But the ancient Greek historian Theopompus, who spoke about the crime of Herostratus, preserved his name for posterity. Later, the works of Theopompus, preserved in fragments, became the basis for the work of later historians (Strabo, Aulus Helius, Valerius Maximus), who also talked about the arson of the temple of Artemis and, accordingly, about the criminal himself. Thus, Herostratus achieved his goal: he acquired immortal, albeit shameful, glory - the glory of Herostratus.

On the site of the burned temple, the residents of this city built a new temple of Artemis of Ephesus, called the “miracle of the world.”

Reflection in culture and literature

The expression “Herostratus’s glory” became a catchphrase, denoting glory equal to eternal shame; the shameful fame of a man who became famous only by destroying what others had created. The expression exists in different versions and phrases: “Herostratus’s glory”, “Herostratus’s laurels”, “to gain Herostratus’s laurels”.

In 1972, Grigory Gorin’s play “Forget Herostratus!” was staged.

Also, the “feat” of Herostratus was reflected in literature. In 1939, a collection of short stories “The Wall” by the French philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre was published, where one of the short stories is called “Herostratus”.