The Story of Tantalus

The King Who Fed His Son to the Gods

Tantalus was a king of Lydia and a son of Zeus who enjoyed extraordinary privileges — he was invited to dine with the gods on Mount Olympus, a honor granted to almost no mortal. But Tantalus abused this privilege in the most horrifying way imaginable.

Tantalus committed three great sins against the gods. First, he stole nectar and ambrosia — the food and drink of the gods that granted immortality — and shared them with mortals. Second, he revealed the gods' secrets to humans. Third, and most horrifically, he killed his own son Pelops, cut him into pieces, cooked him in a stew, and served him to the gods at a banquet to test whether they were truly all-knowing. Every god recognized the terrible meal and refused to eat — except Demeter, who was distracted by grief over her daughter Persephone's abduction and accidentally ate Pelops's shoulder. The gods restored Pelops to life with an ivory shoulder to replace the one Demeter consumed. Tantalus was sent to Tartarus for eternal punishment: he stands in a pool of water beneath branches heavy with fruit. When he bends to drink, the water recedes. When he reaches for fruit, the branches lift beyond his grasp. This is the origin of the English word tantalize — to offer something desirable that remains forever out of reach.