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11/10/2024
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Everyone remembers Narcissus, who drowned from admiring his reflection too much. But who has heard of Herostratus? Yet he, too, gave his name to an obsessive cult of the self. A psychological complex that resonates strongly in the age of social networking, the omnipotence of posturing, and self-validation through “likes.” For where Narcissus was self-sufficient, Herostratus sought to be seen, and remembered, by others.
In 356 BC, he set fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. His motive: glory! The wise men couldn’t believe it, but even after torture, Herostratus persisted: the only reason he had destroyed the temple was to go down in history. Martin Veyron crafts a funny, gritty fable about the fatuity of men, poking fun at the Greek myths that inspire them in their arrogance.
