Herostratos

Dates of birth and death unknown. A Greek from the town of Ephesus (Asia Minor).

In 356 B.C., Herostratos burned the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus, which was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, in order to make his name immortal. The legend is that the temple was burned on the night of Alexander the Great’s birth. By decision of the inhabitants of the Ionian cities, the name of Herostratos was to be consigned to eternal oblivion; however, he was mentioned by the ancient Greek historian Theopompus in the fourth century B.C. The name Herostratos acquired a pejorative meaning. It is used to designate ambitious men who seek to achieve fame at any cost.