Crossword clues for procrustes
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Procrustes \Pro*crus"tes\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, fr. ? to beat out, to stretch; ? forward + ? to strike.] (Gr. Antiq.) A celebrated legendary highwayman of Attica, who tied his victims upon an iron bed, and, as the case required, either stretched or cut of their legs to adapt them to its length; -- whence the metaphorical phrase,
the bed of Procrustes.
Wikipedia
In Greek mythology, Procrustes (Προκρούστης Prokroustes) or "the stretcher [who hammers out the metal]", also known as Prokoptas or Damastes (Δαμαστής) "subduer", was a rogue smith and bandit from Attica who physically attacked people by stretching them or cutting off their legs, so as to force them to fit the size of an iron bed.
Procrustean is thus used to describe situations where different lengths or sizes or properties are fitted to an arbitrary standard.
"Procrustes" is an English-language science fiction short story written in 1994 by Larry Niven. It is the sixth in the series of stories about crashlander Beowulf Shaeffer. The short story was originally published in Crashlander (1994).
The story is retold, from the point of view of Sigmund Ausfaller, in Juggler of Worlds.
Usage examples of "procrustes".
Eleusis had warned him to beware of the wily robber, Procrustes, who lurked in the glens of the Parnes peaks and lured travelers into his den.
The very next moment Procrustes stood in the door, bowing and smiling as though he had never done any harm to his fellow men.
Theseus looked through the house and found there great wealth of gold and silver and costly things which Procrustes had taken from the strangers who had fallen into his hands.
But the fame of his deeds had gone before him, and soon it was whispered that this was the hero who had slain the robbers in the mountains and had wrestled with Cercyon at Eleusis and had caught Procrustes in his own cunning trap.
Theseus who has rid the world of the mountain robbers, and of Cercyon the wrestler, and of Procrustes, the pitiless Stretcher?
Sciron and Sinis and Procrustes dishonorable for employing these methods ?
And therefore he is called Procrustes the stretcher, though his father called him Damastes.
And as he spoke, Procrustes came up the hill, and all the merchants with him, smiling and talking gaily.
And he called the people of the country, whom Procrustes had spoiled a long time, and parted the spoil among them, and went down the mountains, and away.
Sinis, and Phaia the wild sow of Crommyon, and conquered Kerkuon in wrestling, and slew Procrustes the pitiless.
Ever wonder what would have happened to Procrustes if he realized exactly what he was?
Like Procrustes, stretching or cutting the facts to fit the bed of our desires.
Seeing him, I think of Procrustes, the mythological highwayman who tortured his victims by stretching them on a bed if they were too short, or cutting them down to size if they were too tall.
Of the divisions in religion, when rash unlearned ungodly men by force and the sword impose their churches like beds of Procrustes on suffering men.
Sciron and Sinis and Procrustes dishonorable for employing these methods?