Sisyphus
Sign in to savethumb|alt=Sisyphus depicted on a black-figure amphora vase |Persephone supervising Sisyphus in the Underworld, Attic [[black-figure amphora, BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen]] thumb|Sisyphus and Amphiaraus, copy of a mural in the [[François Tomb, Vulci, made in 4th century BC]]
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"Sisyphus" refers to a figure from ancient Greek mythology who was condemned to an eternal punishment in the Underworld, as depicted in surviving ancient artworks like black-figure vases and tomb murals from the classical period. The myth of Sisyphus has endured because it explores themes of futility and human struggle that continue to resonate across cultures and time periods.
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Article
13 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Family
- Mythology
- Reign
- Conflict with Salmoneus
- Cheating death
- Punishment in the underworld
- Interpretations
- Literary interpretations
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
thumb|alt=Sisyphus depicted on a black-figure amphora vase |Persephone supervising Sisyphus in the Underworld, Attic [[black-figure amphora, BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen]] thumb|Sisyphus and Amphiaraus, copy of a mural in the [[François Tomb, Vulci, made in 4th century BC]]
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus or Sisyphos (; ) is the founder and king of Ephyra (now known as Corinth). He reveals Zeus's abduction of Aegina to the river god Asopus, thereby incurring Zeus's wrath. His subsequent cheating of death earns him eternal punishment in the underworld, once he dies of old age. The gods forced him to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down every time it neared the top, repeating this action for eternity. Through the classical influence on contemporary culture, tasks that are both laborious and futile are therefore described as Sisyphean ().