Herostratus complex is a term used in modern psychiatry in relation to individuals suffering from a feeling of inferiority. To achieve self-realization and achieve fame, they attract attention to their personality by defiantly aggressive actions - they destroy objects of art, valuables, socially useful objects, and torture animals and people.

History of the term

The complex of Herostratus was named after the famous Greek who lived in the fourth century before the beginning of our era. This inhabitant of Ephesus in 356 set fire to the sanctuary built in honor of Artemis - one of the most beautiful temples of that time, rightly ranked among the Residents of the city jointly decided that the name of the vandal should be forgotten, nevertheless Herostratus is mentioned in a work written in the same century by author Theopompa.

It so happened that the name of the Greek became a household name, and today the Herostratus complex is a term used to describe those who seek public recognition at any cost, without looking at the laws and accepted norms of behavior. The expression “Gerostratus glory” has a clearly negative character.

According to legend, the event that marked the beginning of the name of the very phenomenon of vandalism in this form occurred on the night when Alexander the Great was born.

When modern analysts and psychologists try to understand what pushed Herostratus to such an act, many appeal to the conditions of his life. Of course, ordinary people will put it more simply - this is a flawed person, but for science such a description is unacceptable. It has been reliably noted from history that Herostratus belonged to merchants, was neither rich nor famous, and did not have any outstanding qualities or achievements. The desire to attract attention to himself at any cost ate him up so much from the inside that it pushed him to an act that inscribed the Ephesian name in the history of our humanity for thousands of years. Probably, if he knew how many followers would follow in his footsteps, Herostratus would be happy.

About terminology

The glory of Herostratus is a term applied to negative fame in the society of a person characterized by pride and a tendency to destruction. The broad masses will simply say about such a person “this is a flawed person,” but a more correct, correct, polite expression is Herostratus.

Currently, a Herostratus can be called someone who thoughtlessly and unreasonably destroys what is valuable to society (non-living, living).

Risk group

It is no secret that the majority of people with an inferiority complex are teenagers. As psychologists say, this period is characterized by the manifestation of the complex in question and other complexes, which, as they grow older, either remain defeated in the past or are suppressed. However, in a small percentage of cases the line becomes permanent; it is almost impossible to eliminate it, especially if you do not resort to therapy. Others say that teenagers are literally a factory for producing complexes, but some of them are caused by social influences.

Often, mental trauma leads to quite characteristic behavior: a person demonstratively strives for destruction, trying to shock the public with his actions. This manner allows you to stand out from the crowd and attract attention to yourself and earn fame. Some resort to this behavior in the hope of gaining sympathy (from the public at large or from a specific individual). By the way, a weak manifestation of this complex includes a tendency to fight and take risks. Many psychologists are firmly convinced that the Herostratus complex and vandalism are two closely related concepts.

What is it about?

The Herostratus complex in psychiatry is closely related to the understanding of the nature of vandalism. At the same time, they talk about the senseless destruction of public values ​​(culture, material) and the desecration of objects. Often public places suffer - transport, entrances. To combat this phenomenon, laws are even adopted (however, they work rather poorly). The culprit caught at the scene of the crime (if he can prove guilt) will have to pay a fine of 50-100 minimum wages. Sometimes the value is different, it all depends on the specific court decision and the salary of the guilty person. They may be assigned compulsory or correctional labor, and there is a risk of being arrested.

As can be seen from the statistics, most often objects and houses are subject to the destructive influence of aggressive individuals. This is largely due to the presence of fragile items. As psychologists say, mental trauma encourages people to destroy what attracts attention precisely because of its fragility and weakness. At the same time, the sensation of pleasure comes from the noise heard during the action. The process becomes not just an attempt to attract attention, but also a method of obtaining pleasure from screams and ringing, indicating life changes.

When things go further

There are many cases where a sense of personal inferiority pushed people not just to damage property, but to destroy someone’s life. Those who suffer first are the small and defenseless: pets and young children. Recently, a special revelry has been associated with the possibility of publishing materials on the Internet: the modern Herostratus remains unrecognized, while the whole planet knows about his activities. To attract attention, such people are ready to mock and painfully kill kittens, puppies, children - in a word, all those who evoke compassion among the general public.

As has already been indicated above, the concept of an inferiority complex is more characteristic of minors than of adults. If we analyze the statistics on cases of manifestation of the Herostratus complex on the Internet, it will become clear: the initiators are often children and teenagers. But adult flayers and sadists do not attract attention to their activities. Based on this, psychologists say: the former are looking for recognition, while the latter are striving precisely for the very process of destroying living things. Of course, none of the motives justifies the way people behave, but understanding their logic makes it easier to find the culprit and choose an effective punishment to protect others.

How to be remembered by others?

Herostratus complex is a medical term. But many people know and have heard the word itself. In short, the ancient Greek vandal achieved what he set out to achieve. But does anyone living today know who designed the long-suffering temple of Artemis? Only specialists in ancient Greek history and architecture have such information. By the way, creating this masterpiece required much more effort than setting it on fire!

Even the ancient Greeks understood perfectly well that evil fame survives through the centuries much better than positive fame, since actions are designed to shock the public. This is observed in our time: for example, many users post the same pets on the Internet, but in the news they only talk about the torturers. Who knows people involved, for example, in treating people picked up from the streets? Their names remain in the shadows.

What to do?

The modern reality is this: the more terrible the act committed by a person, the more fame he receives. Research has shown that the wide publicity of the first shooting at an American school led to a repetition of this situation, more than once. As analysts say, the best way to fight is to switch the focus of public attention from the negative actions themselves to the laws that need to be adopted and implemented to protect public peace.

The more, longer and with pathos and anger people talk about sadists and vandals, the more they provoke them to repeat their actions, and others to follow the same path in order to get their share of fame. On the other hand, if everyone understood perfectly well that a quarter of an hour of “likes” on the Internet and participation in a news report would be punishable by years in a colony or prison, there would probably be significantly fewer people willing to try themselves in this field.

Alfred Adler's approach

The inferiority complex according to the teachings of this psychoanalyst well reveals the essence of the phenomenon of Herostratus. As this scientist declared in his works, the term should be understood as a strong, persistent lack of confidence in one’s own abilities, associated with low self-esteem. Such a person is characterized by a constant feeling of superiority over him by individuals from the social environment.

The classic symptomatology is the desire to attract the public, focusing on suffering and fears. Quite often, such people have speech defects and are constantly tormented by severe tension. At a young age, many try to get away from their complex through status symbols and bad habits. Often it is an inferiority complex that explains a person’s arrogance.

Depression, family and inferiority complex

A sick person is the object of attention of his relatives. This also applies to those suffering from depressive disorders. Understanding oneself as a center becomes a source of strength for the individual. By always complaining, such a person attracts attention and thereby becomes stronger internally. This behavior suppresses healthy others, since the specificity of the existing culture gives power, the power of morbidity.

According to Alfred Adler, if we consider power in the human community, we should say that babies are in power, capable of managing the lives of adults, while remaining uncontrollable themselves.

What leads to the formation of a complex?

As a rule, this is provoked by physical disabilities or excessive concern of parents for the well-being of the child - in such conditions, the child simply cannot learn to independently solve problems that arise along the way of life. However, complexes also arise in the opposite situation, when a child feels a lack of attention from older generations: this gives rise to self-doubt.

If a young child is quite worried about his abilities, he needs to be supported. Approval helps to effectively cope with any emerging phenomena of inferiority, and this, in turn, prevents the appearance of the Herostratus complex. But criticism with or without reason is a direct path to the formation of a flawed personality, aggressive and inadequate. As the German scientist noted, inferiority is a psychopathological syndrome that is persistent and provokes various deviations.

What to do?

As can be seen from the experience of modern psychologists, many people are aware of the very fact of having an inferiority complex, but not everyone is trying to fight it. Additional complexity is provoked by the fear of error: a person seems to be striving to improve the situation, but is afraid of doing something that will lead to failure, so he does not take action at all. Psychologists know exactly how to get rid of an inferiority complex without harming your own psyche. To do this, they suggest returning to childhood and analyzing the situations that were traumatic during that period. It is recommended to remember three incidents and formulate in relation to them what thoughts and sensations accompanied that moment, and how long afterwards the worries about what happened bothered you.

The success of the analysis is due to the opportunity to look at what happened from the position of an adult, experienced, reasonable person. The complex was created by circumstances that a person could not influence at that moment, but in retrospective analysis one can realize who was actually right and wrong at that moment. All negative beliefs that accompany a person through life require reevaluation. To do this, it is recommended to create a table of two columns, writing down negative beliefs in one half, and the opposite ones in the other. If you can learn to think positively about yourself, this will already be a serious step towards combating complexes.

FORGET THE HEROSTRATE! TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS OF EPHESIS

There was such a wonder of the world - one of the seven. It was called the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus. And every educated Hellene would tell you that this temple fell victim to a maniac - Herostratus. The name of this Herostratus was included not only in encyclopedias, but also in sayings and expressions like “Herostratus’ villainy.”

And yet there is a lot of mystery in this story. It turns out that Herostratus never burned the temple, because of which he became such a famous villain.

But I would say that this is less a mystery than a misunderstanding.

From ignorance.

The city of Ephesus and the area around it were called the Greek polis. Greece mainly consisted of poleis - city-states.

Ephesus lay not in Greece itself, but on the other side of the sea, in Asia Minor. Now this land belongs to Turkey. The busiest sea routes of antiquity passed by it - from Egypt to Chersonesos through the entire Mediterranean and Black Seas.

Having become rich in trade, Ephesus built palaces and temples. The goddess Artemis was considered the patroness of the city, and her temple was the main temple of Ephesus. True, over the thousand years of the city’s existence, the unfortunate temple was fatally unlucky: either it would burn down, or it would be destroyed by an earthquake. And it’s not surprising - after all, it was made of wood.

Finally, in the 4th century BC, the Ephesians decided to build a temple that would not be afraid of anything, and the goddess would be pleased.

The construction was so grandiose that the residents of Ephesus turned to neighboring cities and countries asking for help. The Roman historian Pliny wrote that the temple was "surrounded by twenty-seven columns, donated by the same number of kings."

True, Pliny wrote many years after these events, when the temple no longer existed, he could have been mistaken. But it is certainly known that some neighbors helped Ephesus. In particular, Croesus, the richest king of Lydia, allocated a large amount.

After heated discussions, the project of the architect Khersiphron was adopted. He chose a swampy river bank for construction, which first aroused ridicule and then respect from his fellow citizens. And in fact, where is the best place to put a heavy building in a seismically dangerous area? In the swamp! Because the swamp will absorb any shocks. The temple will float in the slurry. But then how can you prevent him from drowning? And Khersiphron decided to first dig a deep pit and fill it with a mixture of wool and charcoal. The result was a multi-meter pillow.

The architect turned out to be right. The temple calmly survived many earthquakes and other natural disasters. True, not this one, but another...

The construction of a giant temple in a swamp required unusual solutions. Every day was a challenge for the architect. For example, when columns fifteen meters long and weighing seventy tons each were delivered, it turned out that it was impossible to drag them to the construction site - the soft soil did not allow any cart to approach the temple. Then Khersiphron ordered to drive bushings into the ends of the marble columns, tie ropes to the bushings, harness dozens of bulls and roll the columns like rollers. And the columns, like rollers, obediently rolled behind the bulls.

But what finished off Khersiphron was a nondescript, albeit heavy, beam that had to be laid in the threshold of the temple. But she didn’t want to. The architect struggled with this problem for more than a week, until the goddess Artemis came to his aid. At night, while the architect was sleeping, the beam itself lowered into the right place. But Khersiphron did not survive this. The great architect died from overwork, and his son and two other architects completed the construction of the temple.

Finally, the temple was completed and handed over to the customers.

His fame was so great that thousands of pilgrims came to him from all over the then world.

The temple stood for a hundred years.

In 356 BC, this miracle of the ancient world died.

Once upon a time there lived a man named Herostratus who could not become famous. Not in literature, not in business, not in philosophy, not in military affairs.

Maybe his beloved girlfriend was teasing him, maybe he was being pursued by schizophrenia, but, racking his brains over how to become famous, he decided to burn down the temple of Artemis. Fortunately, this was not difficult to do. It never occurred to anyone that someone would want to burn him, so there were probably no guards with mallets around him at night.

On the other hand, wooden beams, ceilings, stocks of dry grain and all kinds of material assets in the basements of the temple were wonderful combustible material. Nothing was required - bring a twig and it would flare up. And so it happened.

In 356, Herostratus did his dirty deed and met the firefighters with a cry:

- I did it!

Everything would have ended quietly if not for the desire of the townspeople to adequately punish the arsonist.

The city council decided to forget his name, never mention it anywhere, so that Herostratus’s main goal - fame - would not touch him with its gilded wing.

The gods laughed at the Ephesians. All over the world people told what punishment they came up with for the arsonist Herostratus.

His name is known today much better than the names of the builders of the temple or the kings who ruled in neighboring states. They forgot writers and generals... But they remember Herostratus.

And the Ephesians decided to build the temple anew and even better than before.

This second temple became a wonder of the world.

So at least in this regard Herostratus could not triumph. His villainy only led to the birth of a miracle, much more significant than the previous temple.

This time the builders knew everything that Hersifron had come up with, and were able to go one step further.

The new temple was much larger than its predecessor: one hundred and nine meters long, fifty meters wide. The building was surrounded by two rows of columns, and all the columns were carved - the greatest sculptor Skopas carved scenes from myths on them.

The geographer Strabo wrote in those years: “After a certain Herostratus burned a temple, the citizens erected another, more beautiful one, collecting women’s jewelry for this, donating their own property and selling the columns of the burnt temple.”

But some envious people claimed that the Ephesians spent money on the temple that was given to them for safekeeping by the Persians and kept in the burnt temple.

In the midst of the construction of the temple, Alexander the Great approached Ephesus. Ephesus was a Greek city, an ally of the Macedonians, so the king was received as a friend. Alexander intervened in disputes about the financing of construction and, being a good politician, offered to cover all expenses and even pay the debts of the Ephesians, but on one small condition: there should be a thank you inscription on the temple, which would glorify this feat of Alexander.

The Ephesians did not like this. They did not want to make inscriptions of gratitude on their temple; it was better to let the women remain without decorations.

And there was one homeless man - maybe not a homeless person, but that’s what the legend says - who said with a smile:

– Is it proper for a living god to build a temple to other gods?

Alexander found himself in a difficult situation. If you agree that you are a god, there can be no question of an inscription, but if you make an inscription, what kind of god are you?

So Alexander paid a modest sum and went off to conquer the world.

It is known that the temple of Artemis was decorated with the best paintings.

We are accustomed to the fact that Greek art consists of temples and statues. But the Greeks also loved painting, but, unfortunately, it has not reached us.

Based on the descriptions, the subjects of the paintings hanging in the temple are known. In order to please Alexander the Great, they commissioned a painting from Apelles, who depicted the great king with lightning in his hand, like Zeus.

The temple was so wonderfully designed and built that it stood after that for another half a millennium.

The Romans revered the Temple of Artemis and considered it a wonder of the world.

But when the times of Christianity came, persecution began against the temple. Ephesus remained a stronghold of paganism for a long time, and with the help of Artemis, the Ephesians even expelled the Apostle Paul and his supporters from the city. But in 263, Ephesus was captured by the barbarian Goths and plundered the sanctuary. And during Byzantium, the temple began to be taken away for buildings. They dismantled the roof, then the columns began to fall, and gradually the remains of the temple disappeared into the swamp and river sediments. Even the place where he stood was forgotten.

In 1869, after many years of searching, the English archaeologist Wood managed to excavate the foundation of the temple. The temple of Artemis was completely opened only in the next century.

And then they found another foundation, under the first. This was the foundation of the temple burned by Herostratus.

What some people are willing to do to become famous, to become famous. In our age of modern technology, it has become easier to gain widespread popularity thanks to the Internet. However, in order to gain fame, some resort to bad deeds and unworthy shocking behavior. They say about such people that they have the glory of Herostratus. We will find out why this expression is applicable in such cases by considering the interpretation and etymology of this stable phrase.

“Herostratus glory”: the meaning of phraseology

To interpret this phrase, let’s turn to T. V. Rose’s large dictionary of set expressions. The author conveys the meaning of the phraseological unit in just two words: shameful glory. This means that the expression we are considering has a negative connotation. It characterizes fame obtained through ignoble means.

Where did this expression “Gerostratus glory” come from, the meaning of which we have explained, we will find out further. The etymology of a phraseological unit will help us expand its interpretation.

The history of the origin of the expression “Gerostratus glory”

In what is located on the western coast of Asia Minor, there once lived an ambitious man. His name was Herostratus. All his life he dreamed of having his name etched in history. And one day an idea came to him on how to become famous.

In his city there was a beautiful large temple, which was dedicated to the goddess of hunting, Artemis of Ephesus (later it was ranked among the seven wonders of the world). In 356 BC, Herostratus set fire to this temple, which was a landmark of his state and a place of rituals. He decided that historians would write about his act and thereby perpetuate his memory.

Herostratus paid for his crime with his life: the court sentenced him to death. Moreover, his name was strictly forbidden to be pronounced, much less mentioned, in literary and historical works. But after some time, the ancient Greek historian Theokomp, who lived in the 4th century BC, nevertheless wrote about him, and the name of the temple arsonist has survived to this day. After this, other researchers spoke in their works about his destroyer.

Now those who try to gain fame by any means, especially through bad, unworthy deeds, are said to have Herostratus’ glory.

Having learned the etymology of the expression, we can expand the epithets for interpreting the phraseological unit. Gerostratova can be called not just disgraceful fame, but above all criminal.

Examples of using the expression

Phraseologisms are often used in their works by various journalists, writers, linguists, etc. For example, after the sensational scandal with the members of the punk group Pussy Riot, the expression “Gerostratus glory” was used in many publications about them. This phraseological unit succinctly characterizes the criminal way of gaining fame for the mentioned group.

But it is not only in our time that the mention of Herostratus is used. His name was also used by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin in the epigram “On Sturdza”. In it, he noted that the person to whom his lines were intended was worth the laurels of Herostratus. was directed against the Russian diplomat Sturdza Alexander Skarlatovich, who advocated for educational institutions to be under police supervision, since he was a true champion of ideas and freedom of thought.

Conclusion

We have examined the stable expression “Herostratus’s glory,” but have not yet noted that it is found in various variations: “the glory of Herostratus,” “the laurels of Herostratus,” “to gain the laurels of Herostratus.” Whatever type of expression we choose, its meaning will remain the same. It will also characterize fame obtained through dishonest, shameful and even criminal means.

Human ambition knows no bounds. They are especially dangerous when they stem from the desire to become famous and immortalize one’s name. Here you can name such a name as Herostratus. It was this man who committed a terrible sacrilege for the sake of illusory glory and the memory of descendants. He burned the famous Temple of Artemis, located in the city of Ephesus. This happened in 356 BC. e. And 50 years after this terrible event, the historian Timaeus from Stavromenium began to claim that the temple was burned on the night when Alexander the Great was born.

Artemis is the sister of Apollo and the daughter of Zeus. The ancient Greeks considered her to be the goddess of hunting and fertility. It was to her that a white marble temple was erected on the western coast of Asia Minor in the city of Ephesus. The greatest architectural creation was erected in the first half of the 6th century BC. e. The Lydian king Croesus took a direct part in the construction of the temple. It was he who allocated the main sum of money from the treasury.

Temple of Artemis - reconstruction

The temple turned out to be luxurious. Its length was 100 meters, its height reached 18 meters, and its width was 50 meters. The roof was supported by 127 columns. Inside was a figure of an eternally young goddess made of ivory. The sandals on the feet were made of pure gold. The people who inhabited Hellas considered it a blessing to see this greatest architectural creation. Residents of the Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor walked and drove to the temple all year round. Both Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia knew about the temple. That is, the entire civilized world of that time sincerely admired its beauty.

Very little is known about Herostratus, who burned this greatest creation of human hands. He lived in Ephesus and was a very young man at the time of the crime. His social status is unknown, and nothing is known about his parents. It can be assumed that this young man had exorbitant ambitions. They played a decisive role in his future fate.

On a summer night (presumably July 21, 356 BC), Herostratus entered the temple of Artemis and set it on fire. How the young man set the fire is shrouded in mystery. But the temple burned down, and in its place only ashes remained.

The arsonist was immediately captured, as he did not even try to hide. During interrogation, he stated that he committed a crime in order to perpetuate his name for centuries. Herostratus was executed and forbidden, under pain of severe punishment, to give this name. The ban applied not only to Ephesus, but also to other cities of Hellas and the Mediterranean.

Herostratus lit a fire in the Temple of Artemis

However, among the Greeks there was a man who mentioned the name cursed by the priests. He turned out to be the historian and orator Theopompus. He was born in 380 BC. e. and was a contemporary of the terrible event that shook all of Hellas. He could not resist and mentioned Herostratus in one of his works. The historian and geographer Strabo, who lived at the beginning of the 1st century AD, carefully studied the works of Theopompus. e. He found out the name of the arsonist and called him. This information was received by Strabo’s contemporary, Roman writer Valery Maximus.

He, naturally, embellished this image, endowing it with characteristic human passions. And then it was the turn of the poet Publius Ovid, who knew Valery Maxim well. He, too, described in all possible colors an ominous young man endowed with remarkable conceit. Thus, at the very beginning of our era, everyone learned about Herostratus, and the arsonist, who had sunk into oblivion, was reborn from the ashes like a Phoenix.

Nowadays everyone knows this name. It symbolizes exorbitant human ambitions, selfishness and disregard for morality. Herostratus is associated with those people who commit crimes in order to become famous. Unfortunately, such individuals, although not often, do occur.

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”.