  Salmoneus was a brother of Tantalus, whom Zeus punished so severely for his audacity. A similar fate overtook him also, for he had a spite against the gods and strove to be equal to them. He snatched the offerings intended for Zeus from his altars and commanded that they should be offered to himself. He imitated Zeus’ thunderbolts with lighted torches, which he threw down upon the people, and represented thunder by the clashing of iron vessels. In fact he imitated the ruler of the universe in every way. When he had reached the summit of his insolence his ruin overtook him. Zeus struck him with one of his bolts and hurled him down to Tartarus. Sisyphus was in the same dreadful place. In the upper world he had been guilty of thefts both among men and the gods. In the very hour of his death he perpetrated an evil deed. He seized and bound Thanatos, the god of death, with brazen bands, and for a long time no one died on earth. The gods of the underworld sent to Zeus this message: “Behold Thanatos, who went to the upper world to bring Sisyphus here, has not returned. For several days no shade has entered our dark kingdom.” Thereupon Zeus sent for the powerful war god, Ares, His wish was granted and he returned to the upper world. As he did not come back, word was again sent to Zeus, who despatched the swift-flying Hermes to take the deceiver back. When Sisyphus saw the divine messenger, his courage gave way, for he knew that no mortal could outdo him in cunning. Hermes took him back to the dark kingdom, where a fearful penalty awaited him. He had to roll a huge block of marble up a high mountain which no sooner reached the top than it went thundering down. He had to begin his task over again with sweat of toil and anguish dropping from his brow to the earth. Ixion, who had offered violence to the goddess Hera, |
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