He Betrayed Zeus, Chained Death Itself & Escaped the Underworld

Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today’s video, we’re going to discuss Sisyphus, a man whose story embodies the adage ‘too clever for his own good’, a man synonymous with the consequences of inciting the wrath of the gods, and a man whose fate has become an enduring symbol of futility, eternal struggle, and meaningless tasks.
Alright, let’s get into it.
In Greek mythology, leaving gods aside for the moment, there is a small group of people who became immortalized as superlatives. Orpheus was the greatest musician, able to charm animals, even able to coax rocks and trees into movement. Hercules was the strongest man, bearing the crushing weight of the heavens on his shoulders for a time. Daedalus was the greatest inventor, creating the labyrinth in which the minotaur dwelt, and fashioning wings for himself and his son Icarus so that they could escape from the labyrinth after they were imprisoned inside. Sisyphus was the cleverest man - too clever for his own good, as events would bear out in the fullness of time. He cheated death twice, first ambushing and chaining Thanatos, death incarnate, who was sent to end his life, then once in the underworld, convincing Hades to let him leave. In the end, what awaited most people in the underworld was deemed too-low security for Sisyphus, so he was sent down to Tartarus and given an unending task, making any future wily antics an impossibility. Though he would win himself more days in the sun, his ultimate fate was perpetual punishment, not a great trade off.
First, we’re going to quickly go over a pastoral feud involving multiple instances of cattle theft, the outcome of this showcasing Sisyphus’s cleverness. Second, we’re going to go over the meat and potatoes, so to speak, of Sisyphus’s mythology, which entails the betraying, tricking, ambushing, and chaining of gods, evading and escaping death, and perpetual punishment in the form of forever rolling a boulder uphill.
Watch the video for the rest!

[@MythologyExplained]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@dmacrolens]

Are you going to fix the missing p from the thumbnail image? How did that happen in the first place? Proofread before posting...

[@johnnyhorton2508]

I'd wonder what that would've been Like to Experience Immortality while Still Alive even Temporary Immortality

[@dziosdzynes7663]

One of the finest tales about hubris and how in the end, no one cheats death (and punishment).

[@llamasunshine]

Thanks for helping me learn and fill in my day with some nice narration ❤

[@Pikaroth]

Great as always but that thumbnail typo!

[@-RONNIE]

Thank you as always for the videos

[@mrlucidboy]

I just love the prose, writing style, all the lovely alliterations!

[@francescosegre]

Please, check the spelling in the thumbnail 😊

[@philippvoid1800]

12:00 haha, look at how that white horse is watching you

[@jessnalulila5709]

You got his name wrong in the thumbnail

[@AngelRiverar-yz7kz]

👍🏼🏅

[@johnnycage112]

Man could scheme!

[@macwelch8599]

Very interesting

[@lokisinsouciance9321]

Another great video! As a suggestion, I think it would be a great time to educate everyone on the story of Abraham and his family 💚

[@BigEvil1984]

This is me. My soul i mean. I been navigating the universe for a long time now. I been many people. Zerus El Shaddai Metatron Hyperion Cantos Enoch Ragnar Nightcrawler Flash many other names and forms. Werewolf's Never a Vampire though. I want to try Adin or how you guys call him here Odin skyfather. You already have Zeus why not a Adin or wardin a Odin ism. 💯💪⚡🌎❤️‍🔥⚔️☠️🫀🪱🌞🌜✨

[@kohakanhanan2928]

Get to the damn point faster damn