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If you have been reading my blog, you probably realize that I really love Greek mythology and the Homeric tales (see links to article below).
What is the Myth of Tantalus?
The myth of Tantalus is a famous myth about a Greek king who abused his relationships with the gods of Mount Olympus which resulted in his eternal punishment in Tartarus.
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| Lessons to Be Learned From Myth About Tantalus |
His story is the direct origin of the word "tantalize" which describes the torture of being teased with something you can see but you can never reach or touch.
Before he lost favor with the gods, Tantalus was the demigod son of Zeus. Early on, he was favored by the gods and invited to dine with them on Mount Olympus. However, Tantalus had excessive pride and arrogance as well as being overly confident in himself and his hubris led to his downfall.
Tantalus betrayed the gods through a series of escalating crimes:
Tantalus' Crimes
- Stealing Immortality: He stole the food of the gods, nectar and ambrosia, to give to mortals so they could become immortal.
- Betraying Secrets: He gossiped and betrayed sacred secrets that he learned while dining on Olympus.
- The Ultimate Sin: To test whether the gods really knew everything, Tantalus murdered his own son, Pelops, chopped him up, cooked him into a stew and served it to the gods at a banquet.
Most of the gods immediately recognized that the stew had human flesh and refused to eat it--except Demeter, who was so upset and distracted by the loss of her daughter, Persephone, that she ate part of it.
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| Zeus Punishes Tantalus |
Enraged by Tantalus' actions, Zeus cast him into the deep abyss of Tartarus where he was forced to stand in a pool of fresh water up to his neck. Whenever he bent down to drink the water, he was unable to drink even one drop because the water receded into the earth leaving him always parched.
Another part of his punishment was that delicious fruit hung over his head, but whenever he reached up to take a piece, a strong wind blew the branches just out of his grasp.
In some versions of the myth, a huge stone was balanced precariously over his head which left him in a constant state of terror of being crushed.
In the aftermath of Tantalus' punishment, the gods revived his son, but the actions of Tantalus cast a shadow and a curse on future generations in his descendants, known as the House of Atreus. One of his descendants was Agamemnon who is an important character in the Homeric tales, The Iliad and The Odyssey.
What Can We Learn From the Greek Myth About Tantalus?
The myth of Tantalus serves as a powerful psychological and moral allegory. It offers three important lessons about human behavior and ethics:
1. Beware of Hubris
- The Lesson: Privilege does not place you above moral laws.
- The Context: Tantalus was welcomed as a peer among the gods, but he allowed his status to breed destructive arrogance.
- Modern Parallel: Powerful leaders or individuals who believe their status exempts them from the laws often face catastrophic downfalls.
2. Guard Against Insatiable Craving
- The Lesson: Tracing endless validation or greed can create permanent psychological torment.
- The Context: Tantalus' punishment mirrors his life of endless, ungrateful wanting.
- Modern Parallel: The "hedonic treadmill", where achieving a goal only causes someone to immediately obsess over the next desire, will only lead to perpetual dissatisfaction.
3. Trust and Boundaries Are Sacred
- The Lesson: Betraying core relationships and foundational ethics destroys your future.
- The Context: Tantalus betrayed the ultimate Greek law of hospitality, Xenia, by stealing from his hosts. He also betrayed the ultimate law of nature by sacrificing his own child for a petty test.
- Modern Parallel: Breaking fundamental trust in relationships and communities can trigger a toxic chain reaction that damages families for generations.
What is the Connection to Modern Psychology?
The myth of Tantalus connects deeply to modern psychology, particularly in how it illustrates the problems with constant craving and chronic dissatisfaction.
Modern psychology uses the myth of Tantalus to explain the human mind:
The Hedonic Treadmill
- The Concept: Humans quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative consequences in their life.
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| Hedonic Treadmill |
- The Connection: Just like Tantalus reaching for fruit that immediately blew away, people often chase a promotion, a luxury item or status because they believe it will bring them permanent satisfaction. But once they get what they want, the thrill vanishes and leaves them craving more (see my article: Why Chasing Happiness Doesn't Work).
The Psychology of Craving
- The Concept: Modern neuroscience distinguishes "wanting" (craving) from "liking" (pleasure).
- The Connection: Tantalus represents unadulterated craving without the possibility of pleasure. In situations like this, the brain is trapped in a state of intense, agonizing craving, but once a person gets what he craves, it does not bring pleasure. Instead, it creates a self-perpetuating loop of torment.
4. Frustration Aggression Theory
- The Concept: Psychological distress escalates rapidly when a highly anticipated goal is blocked just before completion.
- The Connection: Tantalus isn't just starving--he's tantalized. The psychological torture comes from proximity. Modern studies reveal that being so close to a reward and losing it triggers much more anger and stress than being nowhere near it at all.
5. Intergenerational Trauma
- The Concept: Unresolved trauma, toxic behaviors and psychological patterns in parents are often passed down to damage future generations (see my article: What is Intergenerational Trauma?).
- The Connection: Tantalus sacrificed his son. This horrific act sparked a curse that plagued his children and grandchildren (the House of Atreus) for generations. Psychotherapists see this as an early literary representation of how familial abuse perpetuates itself until someone actively breaks the cycle and gets help in therapy.
About Me
I am a licensed New York psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, IFS Parts Work, EFT couples therapist, Somatic Experiencing and Certified Sex Therapist.
I have helped many individual adults and couples over the years.
To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.
I provide a free 10-15 minute phone call before setting up a first appointment.
You can reach me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or you can email me.
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