Who burned the temple in ancient Greece. Forget Herostratus! Temple of Artemis of Ephesus. Organization of the library

The reign of the son of Tsar Philip, Alexander, in small Macedonia at first, was marked by great battles and military campaigns, as a result of which the territories of Macedonia greatly increased in size due to the captured states. Among these states was Egypt. The Egyptians worshiped Alexander the Great as the son of the sun god. It was in the city of Alexandria, built in Egypt and so beloved by Alexander, that the Museum was erected, part of which was an amazing library. Until now, humanity is asking the question: "Who burned

Alexandria Egyptian

The city of Alexander the Great Alexandria of Egypt was built on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. There were always many merchant ships from different countries in its port. They brought here wood, silver, expensive wines, purple-dyed wool. The famous Pharos lighthouse, known in the world as one of the seven wonders of the world, served as a reference point for sailors.

Ships of Egyptian merchants sailed from the berths of the port of Alexandria, exporting thin linen fabrics, grain, papyrus reed and products from it, ivory, silver items, etc. from Alexandria.

Near the port was the famous Ptolemaic palace, the luxurious interiors of which were decorated with marble of various grades, expensive exquisite carved furniture, patterned carpets and carpets decorated with scenes from mythology.

The streets of Alexandria were straight. They intersect at a 90 degree angle. The length of the main highway reached 6 km. The street was so wide that several wagons could go along it at the same time. Detachments of Greek and Macedonian warriors marched through the streets throughout the day. There were so many people in the center that it was impossible to push through, and onlookers accumulated in the squares, contemplating the performances of street actors and circus performers.

Museum in Alexandria

But the main attraction in the city of Alexander the Great was the true temple of science and art, which was called the Museum. The literal translation of this word sounds like "Temple of the Muses" and is associated allegorically with the nine daughters of the supreme god Zeus - patronesses of art. Among them there are those that we now classify not as arts, but as sciences: astronomy, history.

The Alexandria Museum was erected during the reign of the Ptolemaic dynasty. He occupied an entire district in the city. Consisted of a complex of buildings of different sizes and purposes. The area around was decorated with trees and flower beds.

Museum residents and library visitors

Famous scientists and poets invited by the tsar from different countries came to the Alexandria Museum. Here they lived, participated in joint meals, held classes, had meaningful and exciting conversations in numerous porticoes, argued and shared their discoveries with each other. It was here that the scientist first suggested that the Earth revolves around the Sun, and Eratosthenes predicted the possibility of traveling around the world. It was based on the concept of the Earth as a sphere. Euclid wrote the amazing book "Beginnings", which made a revolution in mathematics and gave rise to the science of geometry, becoming the first textbook in this discipline.

It was here, in the Museum, that the new social views of pundits were expressed. Eratosthenes expressed a point of view on the attitude towards people of different nationalities from the standpoint of their level of intelligence and upbringing: he stated that people cannot be judged by their nationality, because just as among the Greeks there are ill-mannered and uneducated people, so among the non-Greeks there are very educated and

Insidious Ptolemy

The history of the Library of Alexandria - the history of the creation of its funds. It was one of the scientific collections, since the collection contained about seven hundred thousand papyrus scrolls. There were also manuscripts of Aeschylus and Sophocles, handed over for eternal storage by the Egyptian king Ptolemy III Evergerd. By the way, he got them in a not entirely honest way.

Interesting facts about the Library of Alexandria are known. For example, about the fact that Ptolemy III Evergerd, having taken the scrolls on bail from the Athenians to make copies, chose to lose a lot of money, but keep the manuscripts with him. The king treated his guests no less insidiously: he strictly checked which books they brought to Alexandria. If such a copy was not in the collection of the Library of Alexandria, the original was confiscated in favor of the city and the Egyptian state, and a copy of his book was handed over to the guest.

Library in Alexandria

The word "library" was originally literally translated as "bookcase". In the Library of Alexandria, the scrolls were kept in huge bookcases from floor to ceiling, thus justifying the name of the institution. Its founder is Ptolemy II Philadelphus. He also created the Museum. And the period from 309 to 246 years is called the time of the creation of the library and the Museum. BC e.

Organization of the library

The head librarian headed the Library of Alexandria. His duties included determining the quality and authenticity of the manuscripts. Books were strictly accounted for. A catalog of handwritten treasures was compiled. Books in collections and catalogs were classified by subject, language, and provided with special references. Special interests of readers to certain publications were also taken into account. Replenishment of funds was carried out by acquiring books in small libraries and private collections.

Special masters worked in the library, who were also engaged in ensuring their "readability". They also double-checked the accuracy of the information presented, and dubious points were marked with special icons so that any reader could understand what facts can be relied upon and what information should be handled with caution.

In the Nile Valley, modern scientists have found a large number of ancient papyri. These finds led them to conclude that the originals in the library had been copied over. And since Alexandria was a major center, including the book trade, it is possible that these copies from papyri were a hot commodity exported by Alexandrian merchants to other countries and sold on the port market.

Historians also determined an approximate list of librarians of the Library of Alexandria - up to the 2nd century BC. BC e.

Especially in the Library of Alexandria, they monitored the implementation of sanitary and hygienic standards and standards for the purpose of their greatest preservation. The premises were well ventilated, protected from dampness. The scrolls were checked from time to time for damage, including from numerous insects, and promptly put in order.

During the reign of Ptolemy III Evergert, a branch of the institution was opened at the Alexandrian Serapeum (temple of the god Serapius).

Who burned down the Library of Alexandria?

History tells us of several events that damaged the famous library.

The first date is 48 BC. e., when a large number of scrolls burned down along with part of the library during the war with the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. It was then that the famous fire in the Library of Alexandria broke out, which broke out as a result of a city fire that arose from the burning of the city walls by Roman troops.

At that time, the numerical composition of the collection was replenished. But the composition of its treasures has changed qualitatively. It happened in 41 BC. e. thanks to Mark Antony. He seized 200 thousand scrolls from the collection of Pergamum and presented them to his beloved, the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. Later, the collection was looted a second time by the Romans. However, this does not give us an answer to the question of who destroyed the Library of Alexandria.

During the period of Roman rule, when in the 4th century. throughout the Roman Empire, Christianity was declared the main religion, the library in Alexandria was destroyed by order of the Egyptian Bishop Theophilus, who fought with all his might against the "paganism" he hated. It happened during the reign of Emperor Theodosius. But this is not yet the final answer to the question of who burned the Library of Alexandria.

Alexandria was twice captured by the Arabs in the first half of the 7th century, and the final destruction of its library is often associated with these invasions.

So the question of who burned the Library of Alexandria in order to become famous is unlikely to ever find an exact answer.

On the night of July 21, 356 BC, a major fire broke out in the Greek city of Ephesus. The shocked residents found that the fire had destroyed their main pride - the temple of Artemis of Ephesus.

In hot pursuit, the alleged culprit of the fire was detained. The suspect turned out to be a local resident named Herostratus.

The cult of Artemis was developed in Ephesus and brought not only moral satisfaction, but also financial income. Ephesus was, in modern terms, the center of religious tourism. Fans of Artemis flocked to the temple in her honor from all over Greece, replenishing the treasury of Ephesus and enriching the locals.

The sanctuary of Artemis on the site of the future temple first appeared in the 8th century BC, and the construction of a large temple began in the first half of the 6th century BC. e. and continued for about a century.

Among those who financed the construction of the temple at the initial stage was the famous "ancient Greek oligarch" - the king of Lydia Croesus, who was one of the richest people in ancient history.

Not much is known about the interior decoration of the temple of Artemis of Ephesus. It is only known that the best masters of the Greek world took part in the creation of the sculptural decoration of the temple, and the statue of the goddess Artemis was made of gold and ivory. But even those who saw the huge white marble temple from the outside admired its magnificence.

Model of the temple of Artemis of Ephesus in Turkey in the Miniaturk park. Photo: wikipedia.org

Among other things, the temple of Artemis of Ephesus combined the functions of a religious and financial and business institution. Here major deals were concluded, business negotiations were conducted, and “disputes of business entities” were resolved.

Arsonist confesses under torture

Even the Persians, who captured Ephesus in 396 BC, did not dare to encroach on the temple. The Greeks were sure that the goddess herself personally guards her sanctuary.

But, apparently, on the July night of 356 BC, Artemis went away somewhere ...

The many-breasted Artemis of Ephesus. Photo: wikipedia.org

The fate of the culprit of the fire was obvious - it was absolutely impossible to forgive the sacrilege and the heaviest financial damage to the city.

However, the authorities of Ephesus, and even ordinary citizens, were worried about the question: why did Herostratus do this?

The official version says that Herostrat set fire to the temple of Artemis in order to become famous. True, the Greek historian Theopompus claimed that Herostratus gave this confession under torture. Based on modern laws, this makes the recognition of Herostratus null and void.

However, in ancient Greece, the presumption of innocence was looked upon more simply - the exposed arsonist was executed, and as an additional measure, he was ordered to consign his name to oblivion.

PR campaign of Viktor Maxim

In general, the ancient Greek historians obeyed and carried out the order of the authorities, but there was one who could not restrain himself and, despite the risk of sharing the fate of Herostratus, told about what really happened in Ephesus.

Theopompus's works are only partially preserved, but the arson of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, which he described, attracted the attention of the Roman writer Victor Maximus, who lived in the 1st century AD.

Victor Maxim included the instructive, in his opinion, history of Herostratus in his book, after which this story spread around the world, and the name of Herostratus became a household name.

If Herostrat 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 after two and a half millennia.

There was a Macedonian

As for the temple itself, the inhabitants of Ephesus threw all their efforts into its restoration. Half a century later, the temple of Artemis of Ephesus again received pilgrims, becoming better than before.

This time one of the "sponsors" of the construction was the legendary conqueror Alexander the Great. By the way, according to legend, Alexander was born on the very night when Herostratus set fire to make him famous.

Alexander the Great on a fragment of an ancient Roman mosaic from Pompeii, a copy from an ancient Greek painting. Image source: wikipedia.org

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. True, some historians believe that this applies only to the restored temple, and the sanctuary burned by Herostratus was much more modest. Some people even express a seditious thought - the arson organized by Herostratus did Ephesus a favor by getting rid of the old and obsolete temple and allowing the site to be vacated for new construction.

The restored temple of Artemis of Ephesus stood safely until 263 AD, when it was sacked by the Goths. Nevertheless, the temple existed until the end of the 4th century and was closed as part of the struggle of Emperor Theodosius with paganism. The place of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus was occupied by a Christian church, which was then also destroyed.

The glory of Herostratus turned out to be stronger

Then a story quite typical for all times and peoples happened - the locals began to dismantle the walls of the once great temple for building materials. So the descendants of those who tried to consign Herostratus to oblivion consigned Artemis to oblivion along with her sanctuary.

View of the ruins of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. Photo: wikipedia.org

Centuries have passed. The temple, built in a marshy area, has completely disappeared. Only in the second half of the 19th century, archaeologists managed to literally get to the bottom of the pearl of the ancient world, establishing the exact location of the temple. A few decades later, archaeologists managed to completely open the foundation of the temple of Artemis of Ephesus covered with a layer of earth.

However, whatever one may say, one of the seven wonders of antiquity today is remembered much worse than the name of the one who set it on fire.

WHY HEROSTRATUS BURNED THE TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS? They say that Herostratus burned down the temple of Artemis on that 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 subdue it - it was not for nothing that Artemis, being 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, while several thousand years ago more than 200 thousand people lived here, and therefore it was considered not just a big city, but at that time was a real metropolis. Because of 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 Kaistr River was ideal for this. Ephesus appeared later, in the 11th century. BC e., when the Ionians came here and, having seized the territory, discovered that the cult of the ancient goddess "Great Mother" is 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, happy marriage and the guardian of women in childbirth). A few centuries later, a majestic temple was built for her, which contemporaries almost immediately included in the list of wonders of the world. The ancient city of Ephesus The money for the construction of the temple was given by Croesus, the last king of Lydia, who became famous for his legendary wealth. Hersifron from Knossos worked on the project of the building, he 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 of marble, however, no one knew where exactly it could be obtained in the required quantity. They say that chance helped here: sheep were grazing near the city. Once the animals started a fight among themselves, one of the males did not hit the opponent, but with all his might hit the rock, 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 on a swamp. The architect Khersifron came to such a non-standard solution for one simple reason: earthquakes often happened here - and houses, including temples, were often destroyed for this reason. The swampy soil will soften the tremors, thus protecting the temple. And so that the structure would not settle, the builders dug a huge pit, filled it with coal and wool - and only after that they began to build the foundation from above. 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 walls of the temple were decorated from the inside with sculptures made by Praxiteles and reliefs carved by Scopas. In the middle of the temple 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 structures, was not only the cultural and spiritual center of the city, but also a financial and business center: there was a local bank, negotiations took place, transactions were made. It had complete independence from local authorities, and was ruled by a college of priests. However, the temple did not last long - about two hundred years. In 356 BC. e one of the inhabitants of the city, Herostratus, wanting to become famous, set fire to the sanctuary. It was not difficult: despite the fact that the building itself was built 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 guards her sanctuary. The authorities of Ephesus, and even ordinary citizens, were worried about the question: why did Herostratus do this? The official version says that Herostrat set fire to the temple of Artemis in order to become famous. True, the Greek historian Theopompus claimed that Herostratus gave this confession under torture. Based on modern laws, this makes the recognition of Herostratus null and void. Theopompus's works are only partially preserved, but the burning of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, which he described, attracted the attention of the Roman writer Victor Maximus, who lived in the 1st century AD. e. He included the instructive, in his opinion, story of Herostratus in his book, after which this story spread around the world, and the name of Herostratus became a household name. If Herostrat 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 after two and a half millennia. The temple is the center of Ephesus, independent of the authorities, subordinate to the priest. Let's try to find other possible motives for the crime in the act of Herostratus. Greek cities on the coast of Asia Minor find themselves in the grip of a strengthened Persia. In 396 BC. e. The Persians captured Ephesus. Most of the compatriots of Herostratus hid their hatred of the Persians until better times. Herostratus - a desperately reckless resident of the city (seen by arson) - could belong to a narrow circle of people who did not want to come to terms with the situation that had arisen. The famous countryman of Herostratus, Heraclitus of Ephesus, believed that everything changes, it is impossible to step into the same river twice - new waters flow to the incoming one, 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 expiration of the “great year” all things turn into fire, and they arise from fire 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 a new sanctuary was financed by Alexander the Great. Construction work was entrusted to the architect Alexander Deinocrates: during the reconstruction, he completely adhered to the previous building plan and only slightly improved it, raising the temple a little 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 patronage, decided to install a portrait of the commander in the temple and ordered work from Apelles, who portrayed the commander with a lightning bolt in his hand. On the night of the arson of the temple of Artemis, Alexander the Great was born. 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 a century later, in the IV century. n. e. after Christianity was adopted, and paganism was prohibited, the sanctuary of the goddess of fertility 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 in by the swamp. To date, only one 14-meter column has been restored, which turned out to be four meters lower than it was originally. Subsequently, on the foundation of the ruined temple of Artemis, the Church of the Virgin Mary was erected, but it also has not survived to this day - because of which the location of the ancient temple was completely forgotten.

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According to the story of Theopompus (in the transmission of Valery Maxim), Herostratus confessed during the torture that he set fire to the temple so that his descendants would remember his name. The Ephesians sentenced him to death and decided never to mention his name. However, the ancient Greek historian Theopompus, who told about the crime of Herostratus, preserved this name for posterity.

Information from ancient authors

Although the writings of Theopompus have survived only in fragments, he is referred to by a Roman moralist writer of the 1st century AD. e. Valery Maxim, whose story is the most detailed.

Thus, Herostratus achieved his goal: he acquired immortal, albeit shameful, glory. Already Valery Maxim includes a story about him in the chapter "On the desire for glory" ( De cupiditate gloriae), on a par with Themistocles, Alexander the Great and Aristotle. And the Roman writer Elian, in his essay “On the Nature of Animals,” mentions Herostratus in the list of enemies of the deities, along with the philosophers Hippo and Diagoras.

Reflection in culture and literature

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Notes

Literature

• (English) . - in Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
• Pauli-Wissow Encyclopedia. Volume VIII. Polutom 1. Stb. 1145-1146. (author of the article - Plaumann)

An excerpt characterizing Herostratus

After four days of solitude, boredom, a consciousness of subservience and insignificance, especially palpable after the environment of power in which he had so recently found himself, after several crossings together with the marshal's luggage, with French troops occupying the entire area, Balashev was brought to Vilna, now occupied by the French , to the same outpost on which he left four days ago.
The next day, the imperial chamberlain, monsieur de Turenne, came to Balashev and conveyed to him the desire of Emperor Napoleon to honor him with an audience.
Four days ago, guards from the Preobrazhensky Regiment stood at the house to which Balashev was brought, but now there were two French grenadiers in blue uniforms open on their chests and in shaggy hats, a convoy of hussars and lancers and a brilliant retinue of adjutants, pages and generals, waiting for the exit Napoleon around the riding horse standing at the porch and his mameluke Rustav. Napoleon received Balashev in the same house in Vilva from which Alexander sent him.

Despite Balashev's habit of court solemnity, the luxury and splendor of the court of Emperor Napoleon struck him.
Count Turen led him into a large waiting room, where many generals, chamberlains and Polish magnates were waiting, many of whom Balashev had seen at the court of the Russian emperor. Duroc said that Emperor Napoleon would receive the Russian general before his walk.
After a few minutes of waiting, the chamberlain on duty went out into the large reception room and, bowing politely to Balashev, invited him to follow him.
Balashev entered a small reception room, from which there was one door leading to an office, the same office from which the Russian emperor sent him. Balashev stood for two minutes, waiting. Hasty footsteps sounded outside the door. Both halves of the door quickly opened, the chamberlain who had opened it respectfully stopped, waiting, everything was quiet, and other, firm, resolute steps sounded from the office: it was Napoleon. He has just finished his riding toilet. He was in a blue uniform, open over a white waistcoat, descending on a round stomach, in white leggings, tight-fitting fat thighs of short legs, and in over the knee boots. His short hair, obviously, had just been combed, but one strand of hair went down over the middle of his wide forehead. His plump white neck protruded sharply from behind the black collar of his uniform; he smelled of cologne. On his youthful full face with a protruding chin was an expression of gracious and majestic imperial greeting.
He went out, trembling rapidly at every step, and throwing back his head a little. His whole plump, short figure, with broad, thick shoulders and an involuntarily protruding belly and chest, had that representative, portly appearance that people of forty years of age who live in the hall have. In addition, it was evident that he was in the best mood that day.
He nodded his head in response to Balashev's low and respectful bow, and, going up to him, immediately began to speak like a man who values ​​every minute of his time and does not condescend to prepare his speeches, but is confident that he will always say well and what to say.
Hello, general! - he said. - I received the letter from Emperor Alexander, which you delivered, and I am very glad to see you. He looked into Balashev's face with his large eyes and immediately began to look ahead past him.

No matter what, some people are ready to go to become famous, to become famous. In this age of modern technology, gaining wide popularity has become easier thanks to the Internet. However, in order to gain fame, some resort to bad deeds, unworthy shocking. They say about such people that they have Herostratus glory. Why this expression is applicable in such cases, we will learn by considering the interpretation and etymology of this stable turnover.

"Herostrat's Glory": the meaning of phraseology

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

Where did this expression "Gerostrat's glory", the meaning of which we explained, come from, we will find out further. The etymology of a phraseological unit will help us to expand its interpretation.

The history of the origin of the expression "Gerostrat's glory"

In what is located on the western coast of Asia Minor, once lived an ambitious man. They called him Herostratus. All his life he dreamed that his name would be imprinted in history. And one day an idea came to him 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 rites. He decided that historians would write about his deed and thereby perpetuate the memory of him.

Herostratus paid for his misdeed with his life: the court sentenced him to death. Moreover, his name was strictly forbidden to pronounce and even more so to mention in literary and historical works. But after some time, the ancient Greek historian Theokoppus, who lived in the 4th century BC, nevertheless wrote about him, and the name of the arsonist of the temple has come down to our days. After that, other researchers also spoke in their writings about its destroyer.

Now about those who are trying to get fame in any way, especially by bad, unworthy deeds, they say that they have Herostratus fame.

Having learned the etymology of the expression, we can expand the epithets for the interpretation of the phraseological unit. Herostratova can be called not just a shameful glory, but above all a criminal one.

Expression usage examples

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

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

Conclusion

We have considered the stable expression "Herostratus's glory", but have not yet noted that it occurs in various variations: "the glory of Herostratus", "the laurels of Herostratus", "acquire the laurels of Herostratus". Whatever kind of expression we choose, its meaning will remain the same. It will also characterize fame obtained by dishonest, shameful and even criminal means.