▁design , ▁evidence ▁of ▁this ▁practice ▁is ▁scar ce . ▁One ▁example ▁of ▁dam nat io ▁mem oria e , ▁or ▁ob liv ion , ▁as ▁a ▁pun ishment ▁was ▁met ed ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁pe op les ▁of ▁E ph es us ▁after ▁Her ost r atus ▁set ▁fire ▁to ▁the ▁Temple ▁of ▁Ar tem is , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Seven ▁W onders ▁of ▁anti qu ity . ▁The ▁Rom ans , ▁who ▁viewed ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁pun ishment ▁worse ▁than ▁death , ▁adopted ▁this ▁practice . ▁Fel ons ▁would ▁be ▁er ased ▁from ▁history ▁for ▁the ▁cr imes ▁they ▁had ▁committed . ▁ ▁The ▁sense ▁of ▁the ▁expression ▁dam nat io ▁mem oria e ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁san ction ▁is ▁to ▁cancel ▁every ▁trace ▁of ▁the ▁person ▁from ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁Rome , ▁as ▁if ▁they ▁had ▁never ▁existed , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁honour ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁city ▁that ▁str essed ▁social ▁appearance , ▁respect ability , ▁and ▁the ▁pride ▁of ▁being ▁a ▁true ▁Roman ▁as ▁a ▁fundamental ▁requirement ▁of ▁the ▁citiz en , ▁it ▁was ▁perhaps ▁the ▁sever est ▁pun ishment . ▁ ▁In ▁ancient ▁Roman ▁society , ▁" a ▁Roman ' s ▁house ▁was ▁perce ived ▁as ▁an ▁extension ▁of ▁the ▁self , ▁sign alling ▁to ▁divine ▁protect ors ▁and ▁social ▁and ▁gene alog ical ▁status ▁to ▁the ▁world ▁outside ." ▁Similarly , ▁just ▁as ▁the ▁dom us ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁seen ▁as ▁an ▁extension ▁of ▁the ▁self , ▁memory ▁was ▁thought ▁of