To many, the labor of Sisyphus symbolizes futility, or the inability to ever achieve one's goals. #Hades sisyphus free#The gods also use trickery when they tell Sisyphus he can go free if he rolls the boulder over the top of the hill-an impossible task. This is shown when he shackles Thanatos and when he convinces Persephone to let him go back to the world of the living. Throughout his tale, Sisyphus uses his cleverness to trick the gods and other characters. Key Themes and SymbolsĪn important theme in the myth of Sisyphus is trickery. In fact, the myth even suggests that the ancient Greeks did not consider the gods all powerful, as the cleverness of Sisyphus nearly allows him to escape punishment altogether. Had it not been for that betrayal, Sisyphus would never have faced the wrath of the gods. In fact, the reason for the harsh punishment of Sisyphus is established quite clearly: he betrayed a promise to Zeus, the king of the gods. Indeed, in the tales of Sisyphus, Autolycus-sometimes called the king of thieves-was impressed by the man's cleverness and the two became friends. There are many other examples of ancient Greek myths where cunning and cleverness is highly rewarded- particularly in the tales of Odysseus (pronounced oh-DIS-ee-uhs), a hero who is sometimes mentioned as the possible son of Sisyphus. While the myth of Sisyphus might appear to be a reflection of ancient Greek values, particularly against those who are cunning or deceitful, this is not likely to be the case. Each time he reached the top, however, the boulder rolled back down to the bottom, forcing Sisyphus to start over. The gods told him that if he rolled the stone to the other side they would release him. To escape being crushed, he had to push the boulder uphill. After returning to Corinth, Sisyphus stayed there until his second, and final, death.Īs punishment for tricking the gods, Sisyphus was placed on a hillside in the underworld with a heavy boulder above him. While in the underworld, he persuaded Persephone (pronounced per-SEF-uh-nee), the goddess of the underworld, to let him go back to earth long enough to arrange a proper funeral, since his wife was clearly not following tradition. Sisyphus called out to his wife not to offer the customary sacrifices usually made when someone dies, and she followed his orders. Because Thanatos was shackled and could not perform his duties, for several days no one on earth died.Īres (pronounced AIR-eez), the god of war, went to free death and take Sisyphus to Tartarus (pronounced TAR-tur-uhs), a gloomy pit at the bottom of the underworld. About to be shackled, the clever Sisyphus managed to trick Thanatos into trying out the shackles first and trapped the god in his place. Furious, Zeus sent Thanatos (pronounced THAN-uh-tohs), the god of death, to take Sisyphus to Hades (pronounced HAY-deez), the ruler of the land of the dead. He betrayed Zeus, however, when he revealed the location to the nymph's father in exchange for a spring of pure water. In another myth, Sisyphus saw the god Zeus (pronounced ZOOS) kidnap a river nymph, or female nature deity, and he promised to keep the hiding place secret. On one occasion, he happened to steal Sisyphus's cattle Sisyphus outwitted him, however, by placing a mark on the cattle's hooves so he could follow the hoofprints to the stolen animals. Autolycus stole cattle by changing their color so they could not be identified. One story about Sisyphus involves Autolycus (pronounced aw-TOL-i-kuhs), a clever thief. He was one of the sons of King Aeolus (pronounced EE-uh-luhs) of Thessaly (pronounced THESS-uh-lee). Although stories about Sisyphus differ somewhat in their details, he is usually referred to as the king of Corinth. In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was famous for two things: his cleverness during life and the punishment he suffered after death. Son of King Aeolus and Enarete Character Overview
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