Sisyphus
Sisyphus with his stone and the hill. English Engraving, 1792.
Sisyphus (Σίσυφος, Sísyphos) was a legendary person in Greek mythology.[1]
According to the ancient story, Sisyphus was forced to roll a big rock up a hill, but it rolled back down and the task was never finished.[2] He was forced to repeat this over and over again forever.[3]The word "Sisyphean", which relates to a task which is undertaken with great effort but is ultimately pointless, is derived from the myth.
References
- ↑ "Sisyphean," Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed., 2001; retrieved 2012-3-29.
- ↑ Littell, Robert S. (1849). The Living Age, Vol. 20, p. 53.
- ↑ Mythweb.com, "Sisyphus"; retrieved 2012-3-29.