Author:
John
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Date Posted: 00:15:52 09/05/02 Thu
This is a rather famous Greek myth. You'll often hear references to it in phrases like "It was a Sisyphean task."
The core of the myth concerns the punishment Sisyphus received in Tartarus (hell). He was compelled to roll a huge stone to the top of a hill, but every time he neared the summit its weight would overcome him and it would roll to the bottom. There he would have to begin again, eternally struggling to complete his task.
The myth relates to never-ending work, fruitless struggles, cruel punishments, suffering and meaninglessness.
That's all you really need to know, but of course I can never leave it that. Here's the best part that most people never learn or forget.
Why did this king of Corinth draw such a hellish punishment? He once witnessed Zeus abduct the daughter of a river god and when her father asked him if he knew what happened to his daughter Sisyphus told him, in exchange for a boon. He wanted the god to create an ever flowing spring in his city. Zeus was enraged that this mortal betrayed him, even though he was quite guilty, and so he sent Thanatos (death) to dispatch the king.
But Sisyphus was a very wiley character with a number of clever adventures under his belt. He knew how to elude trouble, most of the time. When Thanatos was about to bore him away in chains, Sisyphus asked him to demonstate how the manicles worked and then promptly locked them closed and held death as his prisoner. For the space of a few days no one could die, no matter if they were beheaded by the executioner or hacked to pieces on the battlefield.
Ares, the god of war, was the most offended because this completely changed his battles. He personally went off to find and rescue Thanatos and take Sisyphus to hell. Again, the clever king had a plan. He instructed his wife to leave his body unburied. Later, when brought before Hades Sisyphus explained that his wife had neglected to properly dispose of his body or perform any of the customary rites. He asked for leave to return and punish her. He then returned to the surface and merely resumed his life. When the gods learned of his deception they sent Hermes to personally take him into Tartarus and there to adminster his eternal punishment.
Don't mess with the gods. It's a bad way to become famous.
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