The+Myth+of+Sisyphus

 The Myth of Sisyphus  By Jesse Rupe and Logan Quinn

**__The Story__** Sisyphus was the king, and in some stories, the founder of the city of Ephyra (also known as Corinth). He was very clever and lived a life full of tricks and deceit. One day, Sisyphus discovered one of of Zeus' love affairs. He revealed this affair to the woman's husband who upon learning of this, chased down his wife and surprised Zeus. Zeus was angered by Sisyphus' actions and so sent Thanatos, the god of death, down to punish Sisyphus. Instead, Sisyphus, being the sly man that he is, asks Thanatos to demonstrate his handcuffs and ends up capturing and chaining up Thanatos for a month. While detained, no one would die even if they sustained mortal wounds. Ares, the god of war, became very angry due to the fact that soldiers were not dying in battle and thus victory on the battlefield was impossible and so he came to set Thanatos free. He threatened Sisyphus and also gave Thanatos power over him. Sisyphus was to be taken to the underworld but he had other plans. Sisyphus instructed his wife, Merope, to bury him without the usual funeral rites. Once in the Underworld, he complained to Hades and Persephone about his improper burial and demanded that he go back to right the wrongs. Hades agreed and allowed Sisyphus to go back to the mortal world with the promise that he would return to the Underworld as soon as he received the proper burial rights. Once Sisyphus escaped, however, he refused to return to the Underworld. Sisyphus' freedom was short lived however, for Hermes, the messenger god, was sent by Zeus to capture Sisyphus and drag him down to the Underworld. Once there, Hades was handed control over Sisyphus. Sisyphus was sent to roll a huge stone to the top of a hill. But every time he was about to push it over the summit, it would push him back down to the bottom of the hill. He would be doomed to attempt this feat for all eternity.

**__The Lesson of the Story:__**

The Myth of Sisyphus expands on the idea of eternal punishment and how avoiding the inevitable is impossible. Even though he "cheated" death twice, Sisyphus was unable to avoid it forever. in return for his scorn towards the Gods, Sisyphus was punished in a very cruel manner, but it was nothing more than he deserved. Today, Sisyphus' eternal assignment remains an iconic punishment even going as far as to influence our speech. Any task that is endless, unbearable, or fruitless is deemed a Sisyphean task.

**__Tip-Offs To Look For In Other Texts:__** >
 * Sisyphus
 * An endless, impossible, or meaningless task (a Sisyphean task)
 * Moving giant rocks
 * Pushing a boulder to the top of a mountain
 * Never ending failure
 * Eternal punishment