The story of Tantalus is a relatively famous one from Greek mythology; and the English language uses the word tantalise, as derived from the story of the mythological figure.

Tantalus was the son of Zeus and the nymph Pluto, and was made king of Sipylus (or Paphlagonia). Tantalus is normally said to be married to Dione, a daughter of the Titan Atlas, although other names given to the king’s wife include Eupryto and Eurythemista. Tantalus would become father to two sons, Pelops and Broteas, and one daughter, Niobe.

Tantalus was a beloved son of Zeus and was welcomed to many of the banquets held by the gods. Tantalus though did not recognise how well off he was, and he would take the talk of the gods back to the mortal realm, and would also try to steal ambrosia and nectar as well.

The king also saw fit to trick the gods at a banquet he himself hosted. Cruelly, the king killed his own, Pelops, and cut up the body. The body parts were then cooked and served up as a meal. Most of the gods realised what had occurred, although Demeter, distracted by the fact that her daughter was hidden away in Hades, ate some of the meal before she became aware of the trick.

Zeus ordered the Fates (Moirai) to bring Pelops back to life, and the Fates did this by cooking the meal once again in the cauldron. It was soon discovered that a part of Pelop’s shoulder was missing; Demeter having eaten it. Demeter though had Hephaestus craft a bone from ivory to replace it.

The resurrected Pelops would leave his father’s court and ultimately he established his own kingdom in the region that would take his name, the Peloponnese.

For his crimes, Tantalus would be punished, but his own children also had their own suffering to bear. Pelops was ultimately driven out of his kingdom, when the land was invaded by Ilus; Broteas self-immolated when he dishonoured Athena; and Niobe saw her children killed by Apollo and Artemis after she insulted Leto.

As punishment for his sins of infanticide and cannibalism, Tantalus was made a permanent prisoner of Tartarus and singled out for eternal punishment. This punishment was seen by Odysseus when the Greek hero descended into the underworld.

When Odysseus saw Tantalus, he had aged and was stood up chin deep in a lake of water. Above him was a veritable orchard, with trees abounding with fruit. Every time Tantalus would stoop to take a drink of the lake though, the waters of the lake would recede; and every time he reached for fruit, the wind would blow the branches out of his reach. For evermore Tantalus would be tantalised by the food and drink.

On the surface of the earth, the line of Tantalus would continue, and importantly in Greek mythology, Atreus and Thyestes were sons of Pelops, the former being father to Agamemnon and Menelaus, and grandfather to Orestes.