Procrustes
heroProcrustes was a bandit of Attica who forced travellers to lie in his iron bed, stretching the short and cutting the tall to make them fit — killed by Theseus.
The Myth
Procrustes (also called Damastes) operated on the road between Athens and Eleusis. He invited travellers to rest in his bed. If they were too short, he stretched them on a rack. If too long, he cut off their limbs. He had two beds of different sizes to ensure no one ever fit. Theseus, on his way to Athens, gave Procrustes a taste of his own method — forcing him into his own bed and cutting him to size. The myth gave us "Procrustean," meaning enforcing uniformity through violent or arbitrary means.
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Fun Fact
A "Procrustean" standard — forcing data or people to fit a predetermined framework — is commonly cited in statistics and management theory.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Athens
placeAthens was the city sacred to Athena, birthplace of democracy, philosophy, drama, and Western...
Eleusis
placeEleusis was a sacred city near Athens, home to the Eleusinian Mysteries — the most important secret...
Poseidon
godLord of the seas and brother of Zeus. Poseidon's moods shaped the oceans — calm seas for those who...
Theseus
heroThe hero who navigated the Labyrinth, slew the Minotaur, and became the legendary king of Athens....
Achilles
heroThe greatest warrior in the Greek army at Troy, nearly invulnerable thanks to being dipped in the...
Actaeon
heroActaeon was a master hunter who accidentally saw Artemis bathing naked — she transformed him into a...