Sisyphus

Pronunciation

Titles and Epithets

Sisyphus only appears occasionally in surviving ancient literature and therefore only has a few epithets. He was sometimes referred to as “Aeolides,” meaning “son of Aeolus”—a reference to his fatherthe Thessalian king Aeolus. But Sisyphus’ most common epithets evoked his craftiness through such Greek words as kerdiōn and aiolomētēs (meaning simply “crafty”).

Family Tree

King of Corinth

Sisyphus was usually described as the king of Ephyra (the original name of Corinth).^[15] He was sometimes said to have actually founded the city.^[16] But in other traditionsMedea made Sisyphus king of Corinth after she killed the city’s royal family.^[17]

Crime and Punishment: Three Versions of Sisyphus

In antiquity (as is still the case today)Sisyphus served as a cautionary tale for the terrible consequences of offending the gods. In the OdysseyOdysseus describes seeing Sisyphus pushing his stone in the Underworld:

Verily he would brace himself with hands and feetand thrust the stone toward the crest of a hillbut as often as he was about to heave it over the topthe weight would turn it backand then down again to the plain would come rolling the ruthless stone. But he would strain again and thrust it backand the sweat flowed down from his limbsand dust rose up from his head.^[18]

But there were different accounts of the crime that so memorably provoked the gods’ wrath.

Two Ways to Cheat Death

In what has become the most familiar traditionSisyphus was punished because he cheated Death. The most complete account of this myth comes from a summary of the story as it would have been told in the lost writings of Pherecydesa genealogist and mythographer of the fifth century BCE. 

According to Pherecydesit all started when Sisyphus revealed to the river god Asopus that he had seen Zeus carrying off AeginaAsopus’ daughter. In revengeZeus sent Death to take Sisyphus to the Underworld. But Sisyphus managed to chain Death. Because of thisall humans (not just Sisyphus) were temporarily spared from death—at least until Zeus sent Ares to set things right.

After Death had been freedhe seized Sisyphus and took him to the Underworld—but not before Sisyphus instructed his wife Merope not to perform the customary funerary rituals for him. When Sisyphus reached the Underworldhe convinced Hades (or Hades’ queen Persephonein some versions) to let him return to the world of the living to punish his wife for neglecting his funeral. Once backof coursehe did not return to the Underworld. 

EventuallyhoweverSisyphus died of old age. Once he was back in the Underworld for goodthe gods punished his all-too-brief victory over death by forcing him to forever push a stone up a hill.^[19]

AsopusAeginaand Zeus

Several well-known authors—among them the geographer Pausanias and the mythographer Apollodorus—simplified the myth of Sisyphus by excluding his attempts to cheat Death. As in Pherecydes’ accountSisyphus told Asopus that Zeus had carried off Aegina. In exchange for this informationsome saidSisyphus was given a spring on the Acrocorinth. But the gifthowever grandwas little consolation in the end: in this versionSisyphus received his eternal punishment solely for betraying Zeus’ secret.^[20]

This myth follows a pattern seen elsewhere in Greek mythologyin which a god disproportionately punishes someone for revealing their secrets. Other examples include Battustransformed into a stone by Hermes after he disclosed that the infant god had stolen Apollo’s cattleor Ascalaphusburied alive by Demeter after he testified that Persephone had tasted food in the Underworld (which forced her to forever remain Hades’ wife). The version of Sisyphus described by Pausanias and Apollodorus thus joins the ranks of other ill-fated mythological tattletales.

Sibling Rivalry: Sisyphus vs. Salmoneus

In another traditionrecorded by the Roman mythographer known as Hyginus,^[21] Sisyphus was locked in a bitter conflict with his brother Salmoneus. The hatred between them was so deep that Sisyphus went to the oracle of Delphi to learn how he might kill Salmoneus. The oracle told him that if he had children with Salmoneus’ wife Tyrothey would do the deed for him.

Sisyphus followed the oracle’s advice and bore two sons with Tyro. But when Tyro learned the prophecyshe killed the children. Tantalizinglythe text breaks off precisely where it would have described what Sisyphus did next: presumablyhe took a cruel revenge on Tyro. Whatever the exact detailsSisyphus’ actions were apparently savage enough to earn him his famous punishment.^[22]

Other Myths

Sisyphus features in a handful of other myths.

In some traditionsSisyphus was tangentially involved in the sad myth of Ino. After Hera drove Ino mad enough to drown herself and her son MelicertesSisyphus found Melicertes’ body washed up on the shore of Corinth. He buried the body and founded the Isthmian Gamesathletic and artistic contests held every two years in honor of the boy.^[23]

Another myth pitted Sisyphus against Autolycusalso a famous mythological trickster. Autolycusa son of Hermeswas a skillful thief—almost impossible to catch. But Sisyphus found a way to outsmart him. Autolycus stole from Sisyphus’ herdand true to formhe disguised the crime almost perfectlyslipping the animals away undetected and even changing their appearance. But Sisyphus had marked the bottoms of his animals’ hooves and so was able to prove Autolycus’ crime.^[24]