Meanings
- alternativeAlternative form of Herostratus.
Of course the arch-traitor was Major Quisling, who has, like Herostratos, made sure that his name will go down to posterity, since it has become the generic term for a traitor.
1941, Halvdan Koht, “Quisling and other Traitors”, in “The War in Norway”, in Norway: Neutral and Invaded, London; Melbourne, Vic.: Hutchinson & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., page 972 more examples
Let us suppose that, struck like Herostratos with the idea of perpetuating his name by some strange extravagance, he should decide to distribute his treasure equally amongst his countrymen.
1919, Francis Sullivan, “Other Things We Forgot”, in The Will of the People, Los Angeles, Calif.: The Ray Publishing Co., page 56The elusive Osama does not seem bent on surrendering his life for the cause, but even suicide bombers may be moved, like Herostratos, by a wish to enhance and perpetuate their own sense of importance.
2005, Albert Borowitz, “Introduction”, in Terrorism for Self-Glorification: The Herostratos Syndrome, Kent, Oh.; London: The Kent State University Press, →ISBN, page xv
Origin
- Ancient GreekἩρόστρατος
- EnglishHerostratos
From Ancient Greek Ἡρόστρατος (Hēróstratos).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Herostratos. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Herostratos
“Herostratos.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Herostratos. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Herostratos,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Herostratos.
Source: Herostratos on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.