DID YOU KNOW….I didn't think so. Procrustes' Bed
“Procrustes was a robber of Attica, who placed all who fell into his hands upon an iron bed. If they were longer than the bed, he cut off the redundant part; if shorter, he stretched them till they fitted it. Any attempt to reduce
men to one standard, one way of thinking, or one way of acting, is called placing them on Procrustes’ bed, and the person who makes the attempt is called Procrustes.”
From the Big Book. Where
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February 22nd, 2008 at 6:32 am
Did the Big Book give the location of Attica or the size of the iron bed?…. I wonder if it was a twin, queen, or king size….. Sounds like standardization could be very painful……
February 23rd, 2008 at 12:14 am
Procrustes’ bed is part of the story and journey of Oedipus.
February 23rd, 2008 at 9:20 am
I don’t remember this being a part of Oedipus Rex and can’t seem to find it in the story. I thought maybe you were referring to The Odyssey but can’t find reference to it in there, either. The Odyssey uses the name “Polypemon,” which is another name for Procrustes, but in this case I think this is more wordplay on the part of Homer/Odysseus and not a reference to Procrustes.
He did play a role in Theseus’s journey (I only know this from google).
February 23rd, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Oedipus Rex is the play. According to my wife, and I’m not arguing, there is the story of Oedipus, similar to the Odyssey, where Oedipus journeys back home to kill dad and marry mom.