Why Sisyphus Matters

Sisyphus teaches us that one may stumble, or even lose footing in life. This may cause you to take one or even a couple of steps back in whatever journey you may be on. However, with that goal in mind one sets their feet back in place to push the boulder a little farther. The struggle of each step being felt by the person who is working towards the goal he or she has set. As one gets closer to the goal, it is important to not lose focus on the task at hand. We have to continue to push forward each new day.

Folk Hero

One may view Sisyphus as a folk hero for his actions on the mountain. One can easily imagine the mundane and monotonous pain of struggling to push a mighty boulder up a mountain; one step after another, feeling as if the ground itself was pulling you down. The mighty boulder pushing against his every muscle and fiber of being, the struggle to move the boulder one step at a time. The pending joy of seeing the top of the mountain, the feeling of joy to reach the top and fulfill a mighty task, an accomplishment most men, if any could ever match. However, the moment Sisyphus reached the top of that mountain, the boulder came tumbling down, the boulder rolling over and smashing each footprint he had as he sought to conquer the mountain. Now he was damned to start his journey again. However, he was learning to grow and the struggle was making him stronger.

Narcissist

Sisyphus was a narcissist whose conduct was for self-enrichment, not the betterment of himself or his people. Sisyphus was born into royalty as the son of King Aeolus of Thessaly and Enarete. He would eventually become the king of the Ancient Greek City of Ephyra (Corinth) in Greek mythology. Sisyphus was notoriously known as the most cunning man on Earth who was both shrewd and devious. He led his Kingdom of Ephyra to become financially prosperous as a hub for commercial activity. However, he also committed many acts interpreted by Zeus as a slight against him and the Gods. The spirit of hospitality, known as Xenia, was highly valued by Zeus. Sisyphus would demonstrate his ruthlessness by regularly killing visitors to his Kingdom. This act greatly angered Zeus. Eventually, Zeus would view Sisyphus as a measly man committing atrocious acts that violated Xenia. However, Sisyphus continued his acts defiance that spat in the face of Zeus and the gods.

A second act of defiance by Sisyphus was when Sisyphus, in an effort to gain further power and influence, informed Asopus where his daughter was. Zeus had kidnapped Asopus’ daughter, Aegina, from Sisyphus’s kingdom. Informing Asopus was not an act of honor by Sisyphus, but rather to gain favor with Asopus. As a reward to Sisyphus, Asopus formed a freshwater spring to flow on the Acropolis of Corinth, which brought greater wealth for Sisyphus and his kingdom. Sisyphus specifically crossed Zeus in an effort of self-gain.

 A third act of defiance against Zeus, which likely led to the fame of Sisyphus, is when he tricked the Gods out of his own death. Hades, the God of the Dead and King of the Underworld, personally came for Sisyphus. Hades brought a special pair of handcuffs, which Sisyphus spoke highly of. Sisyphus appeared so captivated by them he asked Hades to demonstrate their use by asking Hades to place the handcuffs on himself. Suddenly, Sisyphus held Hades in one of his closets for days. One can imagine how the mortality of men changed from this single act. There was no one to bring mortal men to the underworld, therefore, nobody could die, even those killed in battle. However, once Hades was free, the first person he sought was Sisyphus who was ordered to the Underworld.

Sisyphus was summoned to the Underworld but had a plan once he arrived. Sisyphus told his wife, Queen Merope, not to follow any of the traditional burial rites. Thus, when Sisyphus arrived to the underworld, he simply stated that his wife did not follow the traditional burial rites. Sisyphus complained to the Queen of the Dead that he had not been provided the proper rites. Likewise, he was not buried thus had no business on the other side of the river Styx. After all, Sisyphus had no coin under his tongue for passage by Charon the ferryman. The Queen of the Dead allowed Sisyphus to return to Earth to reprimand his wife and receive a traditional burial. Once back on Earth, Sisyphus again refused to follow the orders of the Gods and continued to live the life of a King, one who now bested the Gods on numerous occasions. Eventually, Sisyphus was dragged back down to the Underworld to be punished for eternity.

Sisyphus was taken to Tararus (the infernal regions of the underworld saved for the enemies of the Gods) where he was condemned to an eternity of exertion by pushing a boulder up a mountain only to watch it roll back down just before he reached the peak. This is how Sisyphus came to be known today. This punishment was saved for the one whose ego was so inflated he believed he was more intelligent and righteous than Zeus himself; an eternity of futile labor and a hideous punishment fit for Sisyphus who tricked the Gods. Excruciating acts such as pushing a mighty boulder up a mountain became known as Sisyphean acts. Painters and writers throughout history have depicted the image of Sisyphus pushing his boulder up the mountain. The punishment of Sisyphus can teach us that humility is needed no matter what we may accomplish or how highly we may think of ourselves.

Throughout history, many people have interpreted Sisyphus in different ways. Arguably the most well-known interpretation is Albert Camus and his 1942 essay The Myth of Sisyphus. Camus described Sisyphus as representing the absurdity of human life, yet Camus concludes “one must imagine Sisyphus happy” as “the struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart.” However, Sisyphus teaches us that one may stumble, or even lose footing in life, but we must continue to push forward while learning to grow and become stronger.

Megalomaniac

Sisyphus was a megalomaniac who cursed the Gods and sought to prove himself better and shrewder than not only men but the Gods. His acts as a mortal man demonstrate a narcissist king who feared no one whether mortal or immortal. Likewise, he had no sense of responsibility and completely ignorant of any consequences for his actions. He defied not just the Gods, but the God of Gods. This defiance was not an act of rebellion against a tyrant. Instead this was the act of a narcissist who held himself in higher regard than the ultimate being in the universe. Perhaps Zeus let Sisyphus get away with a few acts of defiance viewing him as just a mortal man who knows no better. However, eventually Zeus became tired of the defiance. Zeus, tired of his audacity, ordered Sisyphus to be dragged to Hades for his actions. Perhaps at this point Zeus thought he was done with Sisyphus, yet the Underworld misjudged a strategic King who not once but twice tricked the Underworld. Sisyphus continued to live and make a fool of the Gods. At this point Zeus had to act swiftly for such an unruly character as Sisyphus.

Sisyphus was never a humble man, yet Zeus was able to achieve such an undertaking. Sisyphus, who thought himself too good for men and Gods alike, was finally humbled. The act of pushing a boulder up a mountain repeatedly for an eternity certainly can humble the most hardheaded of men. Zeus was finally able to break Sisyphus. To put it in better terms, Sisyphus was humbled and came to terms with his fate and himself. He was able to learn and grow as a person. The lesson here is to not get to the point that the Gods must humble us. We all have greatness within us but can easily lose sight of our humanity and the foundation that led to our success. If one takes success as a sign that one is better than others, one is bound to fall in time. Sisyphus may not have fallen in the mortal world, but his after life was certainly his fall. Sisyphus was a skillful and successful King for his kingdom in terms of building wealth and prosperity. If Sisyphus had been humble during his mortal days perhaps we would read the tale of a righteous and successful king.

What Sisyphus Teaches Us

Sisyphus teaches us that one may stumble, or even lose footing in life. This may cause you to take one or even a couple of steps back in whatever journey you may be on. However, with that goal in mind one sets their feet back in place to push the boulder a little farther. The struggle of each step being felt by the person who is working towards the goal he or she has set. As one gets closer to the goal, it is important to not lose focus on the task at hand. We have to continue to push forward each new day. Even Sisyphus did not lose sight of the boulder going up the mountain. He did not let the boulder go half way up the mountain and simply give up. He stayed focused one step at a time, even when he stumbled.

If Sisyphus was to peak around the boulder to focus on where the mountaintop was, the boulder would have rolled back. The focus is the goal that has already been set concentrating on one step at a time, putting your all into one step followed by the next. One will set out a goal in life no matter how big or small. The goals we create for ourselves help to shape the character of person we are and will progress towards. It is not the accomplishment of the goals that will define us, but how we react to the process. Sisyphus did not sit around and sulk. He did not moan and complain about his damnation. Instead, Sisyphus focused on his goal of pushing a mighty boulder up a mountain one step at a time. He knew if he continued to push forward, no matter situation, he would reach his goal.

A person will struggle through mental, physical, and spiritual exertion to reach that goal. Each step one takes he or she will seek to have stable footing. Once the feet are stable, one will push that boulder a little more making room for the next step. Finally, through great exertion one is about to peak and release the boulder. However, as soon as the goal is met, reaching the top, the boulder tumbles back to the bottom of the mountain. As one walks back to the bottom, it is a moment to enjoy the previous goal being reached, but also the time to plan out the next goal. Once success is reached, we know we can reach the goals we lay out for ourselves. Once the plan is set, it is time to plant our feet firmly in the ground and begin to push to our next goal, our next boulder to be pushed up the mountain.

One may view Sisyphus as a folk hero for his actions on the mountain. One can easily imagine the mundane and monotonous pain of struggling to push a mighty boulder up a mountain, one step after another, feeling as if the ground itself was pulling you down. The mighty boulder pushing against his every muscle and fiber of being. The struggle to move the boulder one step at a time. The pending joy of seeing the top of the mountain, the feeling of joy to reach the top and fulfill a mighty task, an accomplishment most men, if any could ever match. However, the moment Sisyphus reached the top of that mountain, the boulder came tumbling down, the boulder rolling over and smashing each footprint he had as he sought to conquer the mountain. Now he was damned to start his journey again.

Why Sisyphus Matters

However, he was learning to grow and the struggle was making him stronger. This is a lesson of life as we continually go up our own mountain. One day we push the boulder of work up the mountain and receive a promotion or bonus or whatever goal we may have. However, once we reach that goal, our boulder tumbles to the bottom. We now have to push the boulder up the mountain again with a new goal in mind. This is the same in our personal life. We build relationships with family, friends, co-workers, etc. We build by reaching out and supporting others. However, a single act or set of acts alone does not make a relationship set for life. It has a solid foundation, but we must continue to be there and support those relationships during our life.

Chad H. Lennon is a Major in the Marine Corps Reserve, Suffolk County Legislator for the Sixth District, and Attorney. Chad is a member of the New York State Veterans Hall of Fame and set the World Record for pulling a 400-pound chain for one-mile in 63 minutes and 18 seconds while raising over $6,000 for the Semper Fi Fund.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.