Procruste: Difference between revisions
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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 | Procrustes (or Procuste) 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 legs; 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. | ||
A procruste is also an insect (coleopter), found all over Europe. He is a predator and feed on other coleopters, snails, slugs, caterpillars or mature fruits. He lives below rocks, in humid forests where he hides below moss. When he is bothered by another living being, he release by anus a very smelly odor (butyric acid), this compensates its lack of wings and give it them to escape. | |||
Revision as of 22:18, 6 May 2003
Procrustes (or Procuste) 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 legs; 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.
A procruste is also an insect (coleopter), found all over Europe. He is a predator and feed on other coleopters, snails, slugs, caterpillars or mature fruits. He lives below rocks, in humid forests where he hides below moss. When he is bothered by another living being, he release by anus a very smelly odor (butyric acid), this compensates its lack of wings and give it them to escape.