Salmoneus, Sisyphus, Ixion, and Phlegyas
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,[15] and ordered him to find the god
of death. He soon found and released him from his fetters, and Sisyphus
was taken to the underworld by Thanatos. Even then he continued his
deceitful deeds. He said to his wife: "Do not bury my body and make the
customary death offering to the gods of the underworld." Then he
appeared before Hades and Persephone and said: "My wife has not buried
my body and has neglected to make the death offering. Let me go to her
and remind the faithless one of her duty. Then I surely will return."
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,[16] suffered
another penalty. He was tied to a wheel which never ceased revolving.
Phlegyas,[17] who burned the temple of Apollo, was also there. He was
continually threatened by a rock hanging over his head, which exposed
him to constant apprehension and unspeakable torture.