J. WILLIAM CALLISON

In Greek myth, Procrustes, a bandit son of Poseidon, had a one-size-fits-all iron bed on which he invited passers-by to spend the night. Once his guests were asleep, he used his ironsmith’s hammer to stretch them to fit the bed. If a guest proved too tall, Procrustes would use shears to amputate the excess in order that the body would fit the bed. Ultimately, Theseus, who killed the Minotaur and escaped the Maze using Ariadne’s thread, killed Procrustes by compelling him to fit his own body to his bed.

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