He also treated the gods with disrespect. But before the prophecy could come true, Tyro killed both of her children to protect her father.īut Sisyphus didn’t just save his wrath for mortals.
He forced a relationship with his niece, Tyro. He was told that if he fathered children with his brother’s daughter, they would eventually destroy their grandfather. He consulted with an oracle to see how he could seek revenge on his brother for stealing the throne from him. Sisyphus relied on this type of revenge another time. He seduced Autolycus’ daughter Anticleia and possibly fathered Odysseus with her. But getting the cattle back and proving the thief’s guilt wasn’t enough for the king. This allowed them to prove that Autolycus was indeed stealing the cattle. Sisyphus wanted to catch the thief in the act so he marked the inside of the animals’ hooves. It was assumed that he was stealing cattle, as the kingdom’s herd was shrinking while Autolycus’ grew, but no one could prove anything. This concerned Sisyphus because he was skilled in his thievery, being able to change the shape and color of anything he stole. One day, Sisyphus found out that a thief named Autolycus was allowing his cattle to get a little too close to the herds belonging to the kingdom. He was a good leader for his people but his decisions were often clouded with poor judgement and selfishness. A sorceress named Media helped Sisyphus earn the throne of Ephyra, which he populated by growing residents out of mushrooms. His brother, Salmoneus, stole the throne from Sisyphus. Sisyphus’ true nature became evident to those around him right from the start. But here is the original version that’s so important to Greek mythology. The myth of Sisyphus is familiar to many and often mimicked in modern day tales. This is why Sisyphus is often portrayed as a hero in his own right, and is often used as an example by modern day philosophers. We have dreams and aspirations, only to find ourselves completing mundane and essentially pointless tasks. The myth of Sisyphus is said to symbolize our own struggles.