The meaning and origin of the phrase Procrustean bed. The meaning of the Procrustean bed in a phraseology reference

The scheme under which the phenomena of life are forcibly adjusted.

If a person or phenomenon is artificially adjusted to a predetermined standard and thereby breaks, distorts its essence, they say about such a situation: "Procrustean bed."

For example, one might say "the Procrustean bed of the theory." It means that life is more diverse and more complex than theories that try to explain it and force life into a rigid framework.

The expression "Procrustean bed" owes its appearance to a rather scary character in ancient Greek mythology.

The robber Procrustes (the stretcher) subjected the travelers he had caught to terrible torture. He put them on the bed and saw if it fit them in length.

If the person turned out to be shorter, then Procrustes pulled him out, twisting his limbs out of the joints, if he was longer, he chopped off his legs.

The literature of the forties ... not knowing any freedoms, exhausted every hour on the Procrustean bed of all kinds of shortening, it did not abandon its ideals, did not betray them.

PROCRUSTEAN BED

The scheme under which the phenomena of life are forcibly adjusted.

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A "Procrustean bed" is an arbitrarily created template, under which they try to fit or adapt something in a violent way, neglecting something essential and significant; or a fictitious standard into which they try to insert something, regardless of the loss of important and fundamental components.

Simply put, this is a clearly limited framework that does not allow to show initiative and creativity.

The origin of the expression "Procrustean bed"

The origin of the expression "Procrustean bed" is rooted in the inexhaustible mythology of Ancient Greece and is associated with the name of the legendary hero Theseus.

The expression got its name from the name of the robber Procrustes, the first mention of which can be found in the works of the ancient Greek historian Diodorus of Siculus (about 90 BC - 30 BC). For a better understanding of the expression in question, you should get to know more about the characters in this story.

Theseus

Theseus was the son of the king of the city of Athena, Aegeus and Ephra - the daughter of the king of the city of Trezen, where Theseus was born. Even before the birth of his son, Aegeus went to Athens, afraid of losing the throne.

Before that, he put his sword and sandals under a large stone, and ordered his wife to keep the origin of Theseus a secret. For this, Efra's father, King Pitfey, spread the rumor that the born boy was the son of the god of the seas, Poseidon, the most revered god in the city (according to another version, Theseus could really be the son of a god). Aegeus asked to reveal the secret when Theseus could move the stone and take away the things that belonged to him. And with these signs, familiar only to him, Aegeus ordered to send Theseus to Athens.

When Theseus was 16 years old, Efra told her son everything. Theseus moved the stone, took the sword and sandals and went to his father in Athens. His path passed through the Isthmus of Corinth, on the road from Megara to Athens. This was the most dangerous section, teeming with monsters and robbers who hunted for robbery and murder. It was here that the paths of Theseus and Procrustes crossed, which was the reason for the birth of the phraseological unit "Procrustean bed".

Procrustean bed

One of the most famous robbers who lived in those places was Procrustes, which means "stretching", the son of Poseidon and the husband of Corinth's daughter Silea. According to some historical data, Procrustes was also known under other names: Polypemon, which means "harmful", Procoptus - "truncator" and Damast - "overpowering".

His atrocities were as follows. Procrustes waited for a lonely traveler, tricked him into his home, offered food and a bed to rest. For this he had a special guest box. It was here that the gullible wanderer was in for a murderous surprise. The unsuspecting guest calmly went to bed, and the treacherous Procrustes tied him with belts to the bed.

Further actions of Procrustes directly depended on the growth of the tied person. If a person's height was less than a bed, then Procrustes would break a person's bones with a hefty hammer and stretch joints until the person's height began to match the size of the bed. If the height of a person exceeded the size of the bed, then Procrustes cut off all the protruding parts of the person.

There is a version that Procruste had two guest boxes - a large and a small one. On a small bed, he laid tall people and, accordingly, chopped off excess parts of a person's body. And for stunted people, there was a large bed on which Procrustes stretched a person. In a word, Procrustes, with the help of his "Procrustean bed", adjusted people, no matter how awful it sounds, to one standard height. And the measure of this was his "Procrustean bed." Naturally, after such adjustments, no one survived.

For the sake of fairness, we note that Procrustes took his death on his beloved "bed", on which Theseus chopped off the villain's head. This is how the famous phraseological unit "Procrustean bed" appeared, which has remained popular to this day.

The exploits of Theseus on the road to Athens

On the way to Athens, Theseus met several more robbers and defeated them. Moreover, they accepted death in the same way that they killed.

Theseus killed:

Peripheta (the son of the god of fire and blacksmithing Hephaestus) - a robber, nicknamed "clubman", as he killed travelers with a copper mace;

Skiron - a robber, forcing travelers to wash his feet, and then throwing them off a cliff to be eaten by a huge turtle;

The Krommion pig is a bloodthirsty monster, according to another version a robber unbridled in its cruelty;

Kerkion - a robber who forced travelers to fight him to the death;

The robber Sinis (by the way, the son of Procrustes), who also has another name, Pitiocampt, that is, "pine-bender". He received this nickname due to the fact that attacking travelers, he bent two trees to each other, tied the limbs of a person to them, and then let go. The person was simply torn apart.

Having finished with the villains, Theseus went to Athens to his father, King Aegeus.

Describing the exploits of Theseus, the ancient Greek philosopher Plutarch (about 46 - about 127) noted his imitation of the legendary hero of Ancient Greece, Hercules.

“(...) Theseus imitated Hercules. Hercules executed the attackers with the same execution that they prepared for him (...) In this way, Theseus punished the villains who suffered from him only the torment that they subjected others to, and bore a fair retribution in the measure of their own injustice. "

Phraseologism "Procrustean bed" as a "logical error"

It is no secret that rhetoric, philosophy and other sciences studying knowledge originated and became widespread in Ancient Greece. So the expression "Procrustean bed" has become quite often used in intellectual disputes related to the logical correctness of inferences, although it is practically not used in ordinary colloquial speech. And the fact is that the very meaning of this phraseological unit is one of the types of "logical errors" or "logical tricks" used in rhetoric and intellectual discussions.

From the point of view of "logical errors" the expression "Procrustean bed" means the desire at any cost to fit this or that phenomenon or event into a predetermined framework. The catch lies in the fact that for the sake of this goal you will have to neglect the existing facts or invent new ones that are missing. Therefore, the final conclusion will be erroneous.

In a dispute, the main thing is to convince the interlocutor with his point of view through logical thinking and arguments. And if some data is distorted, excluded or invented, then it will be much easier to do. So, this method is applicable if your opponent does not have enough experience and knowledge to notice the catch.

In such reasoning, the phraseological unit "Procrustean bed" acts as an erroneous proof of correctness.

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

Who is Procrustes?

Procrustes (also known as Damaste, Polypemon or Procoptes) is a character in 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 entered into the trust of travelers, promising a hearty meal and a comfortable bed in his home. After the traveler lost vigilance, he put him on his bed and cut off the unfortunate part of the 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 at the same time 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. Then he put Procrustes on his own bed and killed 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 is the meaning of a kind of standard, to which they are trying to fit by violent means. This expression is most often used when they want to show that these imposed actions can lead to negative consequences that cannot be corrected later. But this expression must be used very carefully, as it may only be appropriate in rare cases.

Hero Theseus is the son of King Aegeus. - Procrustean bed. - Medea wants to poison Theseus. - Ariadne's thread in the labyrinth of the Minotaur. - Ariadne, abandoned by Theseus. - Black sails: the myth of the name of the Aegean Sea. - Amazonomachy. - Theseus and Pirithous in the kingdom of shadows. - Death of Theseus.

Hero Theseus - the son of King Aegeus

The protagonist of almost all heroic Athenian myths is Theseus... The Athenians wanted to embody in Theseus, just as the Doryans did with Hercules, all the exploits and great deeds of the Athenian mythological cycle. But the Athenian hero Theseus never enjoyed such fame among all the Greeks as Hercules, although to give glory and splendor to the name of Theseus, he was credited with feats that are an exact copy of p.

Theseus is the son of the Athenian king Aegeus and Ephra, a descendant. Theseus was born near Trezena, and he was raised by his grandfather, the wise Pitfey. Theseus taught horseback riding, shooting and various gymnastic exercises.

Aegeus, setting off for Athens, put his sword and sandals under a large and heavy stone and told his wife to send Theseus to him only when he moved this stone from its place and found a sword and sandals.

Sixteen-year-old Theseus raised a stone, armed himself with a sword, put on sandals and went to Athens to look for his father and glory.

An antique bas-relief in the Campanian Museum depicts the young hero Theseus, surrounded by his family, lifting a stone.

Approaching Athens, Theseus was ridiculed by a crowd of young Athenians for his long clothes, which were considered by the ancient Athenians a sign of effeminacy. The hero Theseus, who was called the red girl, decided not to show himself to his father Aegeus, before he covered his name with glory.

PROCRUSTEAN BED

In that mythical era, all the neighborhoods of Athens were inhabited by robbers who robbed and killed passers-by and terrified the country with their atrocities.

First of all, Theseus went to Epidaurus, where the villain Periphet was raging. Periphet killed all passers-by with a copper club. Hero Theseus killed Periphet and took his club for himself.

Then Theseus went to the Isthmus of Corinth and killed there another robber - Sinis. The robber Sinis had a habit of tying all travelers who fell into his hands by the arms and legs to the tops of two trees. Theseus subjected Sinis to the same fate. Several antique vases and bas-reliefs depict this hero's feat. Theseus established the Isthmian Games in honor of the god (Neptune) in the same place. Returning from the Isthmus of Corinth, near Eleusis, Theseus killed the terrible Crommion pig Fey, who was devouring people.

the villain Procrustes possessed no less original mania. Procrustes, apparently, wanted all people in the world to be the same height with him. Procrustes had a bed on which he laid his prisoners. If it turned out that the captives of Procrustes did not fit on the Procrustean bed, then he chopped off their heads or legs. On the contrary, if Procrustean bed turned out to be too long, the robber Procrustes stretched the legs of his captives by force until he tore them off.

Having killed Procrustes, Theseus went to fight with Skiron, who threw the travelers he had robbed from the top of the cliff onto the sandy coast of the sea. There the robber Skiron kept turtles, which he fed with human meat. Theseus in the same way gave Skiron to be eaten by the turtles.

Thus, retribution, this primitive expression of justice among the ancient Greeks, plays a prominent role in all the myths about the exploits of Theseus. The hero Theseus is in the myths of ancient Greece, like Hercules, the champion of truth, the guardian of the law, the patron of the oppressed and the formidable enemy of all enemies of humanity.

Having cleared Attica from the villains, Theseus decided that he could now appear before his father Aegeus, and went to Athens.

Medea wants to poison Theseus

The king of Athens, Aegeus, was then completely dependent on the sorceress Medea, with whom Aegeus married.

Medea feared the influence of the hero-son on Aegea. Seeing that Aegeus did not recognize Theseus, Medea persuaded the king to give the stranger a goblet of poisoned wine during the feast.

Fortunately for Theseus, the hero took out his sword to cut the meat, and Aegeus's father, recognizing him by the sword, snatched the cup from Theseus, which the hero was about to bring to his lips. The cruel Medea was forced to flee from Athens.

Many antique bas-reliefs reproduce the scene of this feast. Aegeus snatches the goblet from Theseus, and Medea stands in the distance, waiting for the action of her poisoned drink.

Ariadne's thread in the labyrinth of the Minotaur

Theseus helped Father Aegeus to get rid of his nephews who contested the Athenian throne from him. Then Theseus went to look for the wild marathon bull that was devastating the country. Theseus brought the marathon bull alive to Athens and sacrificed it to Apollo. This marathon bull, caught by Theseus, was nothing more than one caught in his time by Hercules, and then set free by him.

Returning to Athens, Theseus was struck by the sadness that reigned there. To his questions, Theseus were answered that it was time to send tribute to the island of Crete to King Minos.

Several years ago, Minos accused Aegeus of murdering his son, and begged his father to punish the whole country of Aegeus. The lord of the gods sent a plague on her. The oracle asked by the Athenians said that the plague would end only when they promise to send seven girls and seven youths to Crete every year to be devoured by the monster Minotaur, the son of Pasiphae, wife of Minos, and a bull. Now is the time to send this tribute a third time.

Theseus volunteered to go among the youths and kill the monster Minotaur. Keeping this promise was not easy, because the Minotaur possessed extraordinary power. In addition, King Minos, not wanting to flaunt it, kept the Minotaur in, built by the inventor Daedalus. Who among the mortals got into the labyrinth of the Minotaur could no longer get out of it, before all the entrances and exits were confused there.

Theseus, realizing all the danger of the enterprise, went before leaving for advice to the oracle of Apollo, who in turn advised Theseus to resort to the patronage of the goddess.

Aphrodite instilled in Ariadne, daughter of Minos, love for the beautiful hero. Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of thread. End Ariadne's threads remained in her hands so that Theseus could then find a way out of the labyrinth along this guiding thread. Theseus managed, thanks to his dexterity, to kill the terrible Minotaur and, thanks to Ariadne's thread, to get out of the labyrinth.

In gratitude for his deliverance, Theseus built a temple for the gods in Trezen.

According to many scientists - researchers of mythology, Theseus' victory over the Minotaur is, as it were, a symbol of the fact that the ancient Greek religion, becoming more and more soft and humane, began to strive for the destruction of human victims.

Ancient art quite often depicted Theseus' victory over the Minotaur. Among the latest artists, Antonio Canova sculpted two sculptural groups on this mythological theme, which are located in a museum in Vienna.

Ariadne abandoned by Theseus

When Theseus left the island of Crete, he was followed by Ariadne, daughter of Minos. But Theseus, probably not wishing to incur the discontent of the Athenians by marrying a stranger, left Ariadne on the island of Naxos, where he saw the god Dionysus.

Such treachery of the hero of the myths of ancient Greece in relation to the girl who saved his life is a very obscure and unexplained act in mythology.

Some myths say that Theseus did this, obeying the order, while others say that Dionysus himself asked Theseus not to take away Ariadne, whom he had chosen as his wife.

The myth of Ariadne, abandoned by Theseus, served as a theme for many works of ancient art. In Herculaneum, a painting was found on the wall, representing Ariadne on the shore; in the distance the ship of Theseus departs, and the god Eros, standing beside Ariadne, sheds tears with her.

When the fashion spread at the beginning of the 18th century to paint portraits of modern people, giving them the attributes and poses of the heroes of ancient mythology and surrounding them with the appropriate setting, the French artist Larguillier portrayed the modern actress Duclos in the image of Ariadne, but in a dress with figs and with a huge plume of feathers on his head ...

Black sails: the myth of the name of the Aegean Sea

Absent-mindedness of Theseus was the cause of Aegeus' death: the son promised his father, if he defeated the Minotaur, to replace the black sails of the ship with white ones, but forgot to do it. King Aegeus, seeing the returning ship of Theseus with black sails and believing that his son was dead, threw himself from a high tower into the sea, which has since become known as the Aegean.

Amazonomachy

Theseus, having ascended the throne of his father, first began to organize his state, and then went with Hercules on a campaign against.

Theseus married Antiope, the queen of the Amazons, from whom he had a son, Hippolytus. But, returning to his homeland, Theseus left the Amazon Antiope to marry Phaedra, the sister of Ariadne.

The angry Amazons decided to take revenge for the insult inflicted by Theseus on their queen, and made a raid on Attica, but were defeated and destroyed. This war with the Amazons (Amazonomachy), which the Athenians considered one of the most important facts in their heroic history, is reproduced in countless monuments of ancient art.

Close ties of friendship tied Theseus with the Lapith king Pirithous, who invited him, along with other noble Athenians, to his wedding with Hippodia. During the wedding feast, a famous one took place, from which Theseus emerged victorious.

Pirithous helped Theseus to kidnap Helen, but her brothers took her sister away from Theseus and gave her as a wife to the Spartan king Menelaus.

Pirithous, in turn, asked Theseus to go with him to Pluto's dwelling and help him kidnap the goddess Persephone, for whom Pirithous had a strong love. It was not easy to fulfill such a request, but friendship imposes certain responsibilities. Theseus, willy-nilly, had to agree and go to Hades with Pirithous.

This attempt, however, ended for friends not only sadly, but also shamefully, because the gods, angry with such audacity, punished Theseus and Pirithous in the following way. Arriving in Hades, both friends sat down to rest on the stones; when Theseus and Pirithous wanted to get up, despite all their efforts, they could not do it. Friends Theseus and Pirithous, by the will of the gods, stuck to the stones on which they sat.

And only Hercules, when he came to Hades to get Cerberus (), begged the god Pluto to allow him to free Theseus.

As for the king of the Lapiths Pirithous, Hercules did not even think about how to get him out of such a difficult and awkward situation.

Death of Theseus

Theseus ended his earthly career very sadly: he went to Skyros to visit the king Lycomedes, who, envying the strength and courage of Theseus, decided to destroy him. The king of Skyros Lycomedes pushed Theseus off the cliff, and the glorious hero died.

There were two famous paintings of Theseus in Athens. One of them was written by Parrasius, and the other by Euphranor. The artist Euphranor said that Theseus Parrasia ate roses, while Theseus ate meat.

This apt remark, says the Roman writer Pliny the Elder, very characteristically and correctly determined the direction of the two rival art schools of ancient Greece.

A beautiful antique statue of Theseus has survived to this day.

ZAUMNIK.RU, Egor A. Polikarpov - scientific editing, scientific proofreading, design, selection of illustrations, additions, explanations, translations from ancient Greek and Latin; all rights reserved.

PROCRUSTEAN BED

the yardstick to which they are trying to forcibly fit, to adapt what does not fit. Expression from ancient mythology. Procrustes Polypomenus, the son of Neptune, a robber and torturer, caught passers-by and put them on his bed. For those whose legs were longer than the bed, he chopped them off, and for those with shorter legs, he pulled them out, suspending weights from their legs.

Handbook of phraseology. 2012

The meaning and origin of the phrase Procrustean bed. The meaning of the Procrustean bed in a phraseology reference

PROCRUSTEAN BED

The origin of the expression "Procrustean bed"

Theseus

Procrustean bed

Phraseologism "Procrustean bed" as a "logical error"

Who is Procrustes?

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

Hero Theseus - the son of King Aegeus

PROCRUSTEAN BED

Medea wants to poison Theseus

Ariadne's thread in the labyrinth of the Minotaur

Ariadne abandoned by Theseus

Black sails: the myth of the name of the Aegean Sea

Amazonomachy

Death of Theseus

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