The Burning of the Temple of Artemis

The wooden timbers of the Temple of Artemis were set on fire in the year 356 BC by a man by the name of Herostratus. It would have been quite a spectacle even today, much less over 2000 years ago, at about 400 feet long, 150 feet broad, with 40 foot columns, and constructed almost entirely of marble.

Herostratus just lit the wooden roof beams on fire because he wanted to be known as the person who destroyed it. What about Herostratus? We are unsure. He might have been a slave or a peasant. He was sentenced to condemnation of memory, which is a form of punishment, rather than just execution for the conduct. After that, not even his name could be said. His name has undoubtedly remained, but no one knows who he was; as a result, the recognition he sought—his sole motive for the stunt—remains elusive years later.