The expression Procrustean bed is found quite rarely in colloquial speech, more often in literary works. But what do they call Procrustean bed, and in what context is it most often used? Without knowledge is ancient Greek mythology It is quite difficult to understand the meaning of the phraseological unit Procrustean Bed. But let's try to figure it out.

Who is Procrustes?

Procrustes (also known as Damaste, Polypemon or Procoptus) is a character ancient greek mythology, whose main source of income was robbery. Procrustes was distinguished by cruelty and cunning, which terrified the population of Megara and Athens, since it was on this section of the road that he carried out his criminal activities. Procrustes gained the trust of travelers, promising a hearty dinner and a cozy bed in his home. After the traveler lost his vigilance, he laid him on his bed and cut off the unfortunate man’s legs that did not fit. If, on the contrary, the bed turned out to be large, then the robber stretched his legs to the required size. It goes without saying that people experienced severe pain and died in terrible agony.

Another source says that he tied a person by the arms and legs to trees and lowered them, as a result of which people were torn into several parts. And this man was not Procrustes himself, but his son, Sinis.

After some time, Theseus, the son of the god Poseidon, learned about this problem. Theseus went in search of the robber and defeated him. After which he put Procrustes on his own bed and killed him in the same way as he killed his many victims.

What is the meaning of the phraseological unit Procrustean Bed today?

In our time, the Procrustean bed means a kind of standard that they try to fit into by force. This expression is most often used when they want to show that these imposed actions can entail Negative consequences, which subsequently cannot be corrected. But this expression must be used very carefully, since it may be appropriate only in rare cases.

And again the phraseological unit that came to us from myths Ancient Greece .

Procrustean bed - This is probably the most famous, although by no means the most comfortable, bed in the world.

Let's look at the meaning, origin and sources of phraseological units, as well as examples from the works of writers.

The meaning of phraseology

Procrustean bed- a measure by which they try to fit any thing

Synonyms: limited scope, measure, strict requirements

IN foreign languages There are direct analogues of the phraseological unit “Procrustean bed”:

• Procrustean bed (English)
• Prokrustesbett (German)
• lit de Procruste (French)

Procrustean bed: the origin of phraseological units

Procrustes was a robber who tricked travelers into his house on the road between Megara and Athens. Next, he laid them on his bed and for those for whom it was too large, he stretched out the legs, hanging weights on them, and for those who were short, he cut off the legs along the length of this bed.

But one day Procrustes was unlucky to meet young Theseus on the road, heading from Troezen to Athens to visit his father, King Aegeus. Theseus chose to lay Procrustes himself on his bed, and since it turned out to be not enough for him, the hero killed the robber as he himself had done with others.

By the way, this was something like Theseus’ code of honor: on the way to Athens, he cleared the area of ​​five famous robbers and the Crommion pig, punishing them in the same way they dealt with their victims.

It is interesting that Theseus was the brother of Procrustes, their father was the god of the seas Poseidon (and the second, earthly father of Theseus was the king of Athens Aegeus). But they hardly knew it. In addition, the stormy Poseidon was extremely prolific; the list of his children on Wikipedia includes more than 140 characters, including two horses and one ram (Poseidon sometimes appeared to his wives and lovers in unexpected guises, even a raven). So I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out that along the way, Theseus killed several more of his Poseidon brothers who had turned down a bad path.

Sources

There is information that the story about Procrustes was first found by the ancient Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (1st century BC) in the “Historical Library”:

“After this, Theseus dealt with Procrustes, who lived in Corydallus located in Attica and forced travelers passing by to lie down on a certain bed, after which he cut off the protruding parts of those whose bodies turned out to be longer, and stretched those whose bodies turned out to be shorter (προκρούω) legs, which is why he was nicknamed Procrustes (Stretcher).”

Examples from the works of writers

Such were the robbers of antiquity, all these Diomedes, Corinets, Sinns, Scirons, Procrustes, and it took demigods to administer to them what is so mistakenly called justice. Their descendants, equal to them in courage, will remain masters on the mainland and islands of Greece until Hercules and Theseus appear on earth again. (W. Scott, “Count Robert of Paris”)

The count's friends, passing by my couch, loved to make fun of its wretched appearance. They called it a Procrustean bed. (A.I. Kuprin, “Alien Bread”)

But no, he wrote and explained, we will never change our title of socialist-revolutionaries, we will never accept fundamental evolutionism, we will never squeeze ourselves into the Procrustean bed of legalism at any cost, we will not renounce the sacred right of every people to revolution! (A.I. Solzhenitsyn, “The Red Wheel”)

So, the image of the Procrustean bed is very clear and continues to be popular in the fight against formalism and leveling. However, modern Procrustes, who are inclined to apply a single “Procrustean bed” to the diversity of life phenomena for some reason not usually called robbers. But in vain.

Procrustean bed

Procrustean bed
From ancient greek myths. Procrustes (Greek for "stretcher") is the nickname of a robber named Polypemon. He lived by the road and tricked travelers into his house. Then he laid them on his bed, and those whose legs were short, cut off their legs, and those whose legs were too long, he stretched their legs along the length of this bed.
Procrustes himself, Polypemon, had to lie down on this bed: the hero of ancient Greek myths, Theseus, having defeated Procrustes, did to him the same way as he did to his captives...
The story of Procrustes was first found in the ancient Greek ischo-ricist Diodorus Siculus (1st century BC).
Allegorically: an artificial standard, a formal template, into which one is forcibly adjusted real life, creativity, ideas, etc.

encyclopedic Dictionary winged words and expressions. - M.: “Locked-Press”. Vadim Serov. 2003.

Procrustean bed

Procrustes (Greek: stretching) is the nickname of the robber Polypemon, who is talked about greek myths. He laid everyone who came to him on his bed; those for whom the bed was too short, he cut off the legs, and those for whom it was too long, he stretched out the legs. This is where the expression “Procrustean bed” arose, used in the sense of: a standard to which something is forcibly adjusted that is not suitable for it. The story of Procrustes was recorded by the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (1st century BC).

Dictionary of catch words. Plutex. 2004.

See what “Procrustean bed” is in other dictionaries:

- (from the own name of the mythical robber who laid his victims on an iron bed and, depending on whether the legs were longer or shorter than it, he cut or stretched them). In figures. meaning: the standard by which they want to fit every matter, even if it... ... Dictionary foreign words Russian language

Dictionary Ushakova

PROCRUSTEAN BED. see bed. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Measure, measure Dictionary of Russian synonyms. Procrustean bed noun, number of synonyms: 2 limited frames (1) ... Synonym dictionary

In Greek mythology, the bed on which the giant robber Procrustes forcibly laid travelers down: those whose bed was short, he cut off their legs; those who were long, he pulled out (hence the name Procrustes the stretcher). In a figurative sense, artificial... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

The bed on which the giant robber Procrustes forcibly laid travelers down: those whose bed was short, he cut off their legs; those who were long, he pulled out (hence the name Procrustes the stretcher). In a figurative sense, an artificial measure that does not correspond... Encyclopedia of Mythology

PROCRUSTES BED, in Greek mythology, a bed on which the giant robber Procrustes forcibly laid travelers: the tall ones cut off those parts of the body that did not fit, the small ones he stretched the bodies (hence the name Procrustes stretcher). IN… … Modern encyclopedia

Procrustean bed. Wed. The literature of the forties did not know any freedoms; it was exhausted every hour on the Procrustean bed of all kinds of shortenings. Saltykov. All year round. November 1st. Polypemon, son of Neptune, named by Procrustes... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

- “PROCRUSTES’ BED”, Moldova, FLUX FILM STUDIO, 2000, color, 118 min. Costume historical drama. Based on the novel of the same name by Romanian writer Camil Petrescu. Cast: Petru Vutcarau, Maya Morgenstern, Oleg Yankovsky (see Oleg YANKOVSKY... ... Encyclopedia of Cinema

The Acts of Theseus, central fragment of the murder of Procrustes, c. 420 410 BC. Procrustes (Procrustes stretcher) is a character in the myths of Ancient Greece, a robber (also known under the names of Damasta and Polypemon), who lay in wait for travelers on the road... ... Wikipedia

Books

• Tales of the people of the taiga (set of 3 books), Alexey Cherkasov, Polina Moskvitina. Time and life in this famous trilogy ("Hop", "Red Horse" and "Black Poplar") are subject to special canons. "Tales of the Taiga People" opens amazing world with the irrepressible...

The idiom “Procrustean bed,” as you might guess from the name, came to us from ancient times, when a bed was called a bed, more precisely, from Ancient Greece, whose myths gave linguists many phraseological units. Over time, this name acquired several meanings; scientists even found out that the Hellenes retained the name of the owner in only one of the variants.

Procrustean bed - meaning of phraseology

As a phraseological unit, the Procrustean bed is a symbol of a certain standard, a framework into which they forcefully try to push someone or something, for the sake of accepted standards. Over time, this phraseological unit acquired several meanings:

1. Conditions that limit freedom.
2. Moments that complicate the necessary actions.
3. A logical error that distorts an important meaning.
4. A truncated truth presented for someone else's benefit.

An uncomfortable bed is also often called a Procrustes bed, but this is the simplest and most common option. In subsequent centuries, many writers resorted to this aphorism in numerous pamphlets and novels. The Procrustean Bed is an example of the use of Saltykov-Shchedrin; he called the literature of his time exhausted on the Procrustean bed of mocking abbreviations of censorship.

Procrustean bed - what is it?

Judging by Greek mythology, the Procrustean bed is a resting place where the robber Procrustes laid travelers down and subjected them to sophisticated torture. He stretched the small ones, and shortened the tall ones with a sword, cutting off their limbs. There is a version that the sadist had two such beds:

1. To stretch the bodies as if on a rack.
2. With a secure attachment for cutting off arms and legs.

Who is Procrustes?

Stories about who Procrustes was vary somewhat. From myths it is known that he was the son of the god Poseidon, who chose a house near the road from Troezen to Athens as his place of residence. According to other sources, Procrustes' lair was located in Attica, on the route between Athens and Megara. Because of his cruelty, Procrustes was called one of the most dangerous robbers in Greece. IN different sources Several names of this sadist are mentioned:

1. Polypemon (one who causes much suffering).
2. Damast (overpowering).
3. Procoptus (truncator).

There is a version that Procrustes had a son, Sinis, who took after his parent: he attacked travelers and tore them into pieces, tying them to the tops of trees. Some researchers claim that Sinis is not the son of the famous robber, but himself, only the Greeks for some reason came up with a different name for the sadist and unusual place torture, which was called the “Bed of Procrustes.” In support of the theory, various sources confirm that Sinis was killed by the same hero as Procrustes.

Procrustean bed - a myth

It is difficult to understand from the legends why the villain Procrustes came up with such “entertainment” with receiving guests, but the mechanism was created by an original one. I met travelers, invited them to the house to relax and spend the night, but instead of a comfortable bed, they ended up in hell. Procrustes' trestle bed was a place for torture; the prisoner's body was secured with reliable clamps. If the victim was vertically challenged, the robber stretched him as if on a rack. If a traveler came tall, then Procrustes cut off his arms and legs with a sword, and eventually his head. In this sadistic way, the owner tried to force the prisoner into a bed.

Who killed Procrustes?

Myths say that the king who defeated Procrustes was named Theseus - the ruler of Athens, one of the great heroes of Greece. This supposedly happened near the Cephisus River, when the hero was establishing order in Attica, destroying monsters and villains. According to one version, Theseus met the robber by chance and almost fell into his trap. According to another version, he was looking for a criminal purposefully in order to stop his atrocities, which Procrustes did not know about. Based on these hypotheses, descriptions of Theseus’ feat also differ:

1. The king fell into a trap, but managed to cut the fastenings with the invincible sword with which he had once killed the Minotaur. Then he pushed Procrustes onto the bed and cut off his head.
2. Theseus knew about the cunning device and managed to push the owner onto the trestle bed. And when the clamps snapped into place, he cut off the head, which did not fit on the bed. This story gave rise to another phraseological unit: “shorten by a head.”

Expression value

“Procrustean bed” is a fairly common phraseology. It originates from ancient times. A story has been preserved about one robber nicknamed Procrustes. This man became famous not for his good deeds, but for his atrocities. Legend has it that he had a special

the bed on which the prisoners were laid. He shortened those who turned out to be larger than this “standard”, cutting off all protruding parts of the body, and lengthened the short ones by twisting their joints. Theseus put an end to the villainy, laying Procrustes on his own bed: he turned out to be a head longer, so he had to be shortened. Over time, the stable expression “Procrustean bed” appeared. Its meaning is the desire to drive any manifestation of individuality into a rigid framework. Most often this happens in culture or art.

Historical excursion

History provides many examples of attempts to squeeze all aspects of human life into an invented framework. This happened both during the deep Middle Ages and in later historical periods, when man already considered himself a civilized and humane being. This is happening now, although it would seem that freedom of speech and personality, the right to self-determination and much more are recognized. We are outraged by the laws of the Middle Ages and the church, which fought for absolute

power drove people into certain limits. Those who did not fit into them were destroyed. This is a prime example of what “Procrustean bed” means. The totalitarian dictatorships of the twentieth century did the same. Everyone over forty remembers well how almost every aspect of a person’s life was controlled, and what happened to those they didn’t like. Why not a Procrustean bed? But something else is surprising: even the democratic structure of state power does not save us from this phenomenon. All the same, there is always a desire to first come up with “standards”, and then adjust everything and everyone to them. And those who are unsuitable should be condemned, “pulled up” or “shortened”, depending on the circumstances.

Cause of the phenomenon

But any government system does not exist on its own. Its basis is the people living in this country. Why do we, each individually a unique personality, try to drive others into a Procrustean bed, acting as a robber-villain? The answer to this phenomenon lies in the thinking of man and his

worldview. In order to accept another person, he must be recognized as an equal, come to terms with someone else's individuality. How many of us are capable of this? To do this, you need to have a fairly broad outlook and flexible thinking. We are always indignant that those around us do not understand us and force us to conform to their idea of ​​morality and the correctness of our actions. For our part, we do the same. We solve other people's problems in one fell swoop, evaluate the behavior of others, condemn, approve. At the same time, we don’t even think about the fact that we simply do not have the moral right to do this. After all, every middle-aged person has his own standards and patterns with which he measures what is happening. This creates a Procrustean bed. And anyone can at any moment find themselves in the role of both a villain and a victim.