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In Greek mythology, Tantalus is primarily recognized for his paternal relationship with Pelops.
Answer: True
Tantalus is indeed widely known as the father of Pelops, a central figure in subsequent Greek myths and tragedies.
Tantalus is consistently identified as the son of Zeus and Hera in all ancient sources.
Answer: False
Ancient sources vary regarding Tantalus's parentage; while Zeus is often cited as his father, his mother is typically identified as Pluto, not Hera. Some accounts also name Tmolus as his father.
Ancient sources provide varying names for Tantalus's wife, including Dione, Euryanassa, Clytie, and Eupryto.
Answer: True
The identity of Tantalus's consort is not uniform across classical texts, with several different names being proposed, such as Dione, Euryanassa, Clytie, or Eupryto.
Tantalus's known children include Pelops, Niobe, Broteas, and Dascylus.
Answer: True
The primary offspring cited are Pelops and Niobe, but scholarly sources also acknowledge Broteas and Dascylus as children of Tantalus in certain traditions.
Tantalus is connected to the House of Atreus through his daughter Niobe.
Answer: False
Tantalus's lineage connects to the House of Atreus through his son Pelops, whose descendants, such as Atreus, Agamemnon, and Menelaus, feature prominently in Greek mythology.
Tantalus's alleged actions did not significantly impact his family's reputation or lineage.
Answer: False
Tantalus's transgressions and punishment cast a long shadow over his descendants, particularly through his son Pelops, whose lineage became central to numerous Greek tragedies due to its association with misfortune.
Tantalus's lineage, through Pelops, became central to Greek tragedies due to its history of misfortune.
Answer: True
The descendants of Pelops, including the House of Atreus, were involved in numerous calamitous events that formed the basis for many foundational Greek tragedies, thus linking Tantalus's legacy to profound suffering.
Who are generally identified as Tantalus's parents?
Answer: Zeus and Pluto
The most common identification in ancient sources names Zeus as Tantalus's father and Pluto (or Plouto) as his mother. Some traditions also mention Tmolus as his father.
Through which child is Tantalus the progenitor of the House of Atreus?
Answer: Pelops
Tantalus's son Pelops is the direct ancestor of the House of Atreus, a lineage whose tragic history forms the subject of many significant Greek dramas.
How did Tantalus's alleged actions impact his descendants, particularly the House of Atreus?
Answer: They were plagued by misfortune and featured in tragedies.
The lineage originating from Tantalus, particularly through his son Pelops and the subsequent House of Atreus, became notorious for its cycle of violence, betrayal, and suffering, forming the basis for numerous Greek tragedies.
According to a fragment of the 'Nostoi', Tantalus's transgression involved asking Zeus to live like the gods, resulting in his punishment of a perpetual sense of imminent peril due to a rock hanging above him.
Answer: True
This account from the 'Nostoi' presents a specific crime—seeking divine status—and links it directly to the rock punishment, emphasizing the perpetual fear and precariousness it induced.
Pindar suggested Tantalus's offense was stealing nectar and ambrosia from the gods and sharing them with mortals.
Answer: True
After refuting the cannibal feast narrative, Pindar proposes that Tantalus's transgression involved appropriating the divine sustenance of immortality and distributing it among mortals.
Diodorus Siculus and Ovid attribute Tantalus's crime to sharing the secrets of the gods with mortals.
Answer: True
These classical authors identify Tantalus's primary offense as divulging confidential divine knowledge to humankind, a transgression against the gods' exclusivity.
Apollodorus attributes only the theft of ambrosia to Tantalus.
Answer: False
Apollodorus attributes two distinct transgressions to Tantalus: the theft of ambrosia and the act of sharing divine secrets with mortals.
Servius suggested Tantalus's motivation for the cannibal feast story was to test the gods' omniscience.
Answer: True
Later interpretations, such as that by Servius, propose that Tantalus's alleged act of serving his son was intended as a test of the gods' divine knowledge.
One tradition implicates Tantalus in the theft of a golden eagle that guarded the infant Zeus.
Answer: False
The tradition involving Tantalus and a golden eagle concerns the theft of a dog belonging to Rhea, not an eagle guarding Zeus. This latter story is associated with other figures.
According to Apollodorus, Tantalus falsely swore he never received a golden dog stolen by Pandareus, leading Zeus to strike him with a thunderbolt and place Mount Sipylus on him.
Answer: True
Apollodorus recounts this specific narrative where Tantalus's dishonesty regarding the stolen golden dog results in divine punishment, including being crushed by Mount Sipylus.
The myth implies Tantalus gained access to divine realms or knowledge by stealing nectar and ambrosia.
Answer: True
The act of stealing nectar and ambrosia, the food and drink conferring immortality upon the gods, suggests Tantalus achieved a temporary or partial assimilation into the divine sphere.
The story of the golden dog theft portrays Tantalus as honest and trustworthy.
Answer: False
The narrative involving the golden dog depicts Tantalus as deceitful, specifically through his false oath when asked to return the stolen item, thereby undermining any portrayal of honesty.
What is the most widely known version of Tantalus's crime today, although it appears relatively late in sources?
Answer: Attempting to feed his dismembered son to the gods.
Despite its later appearance in the mythological corpus, the narrative of Tantalus attempting to serve his son Pelops to the gods has become the most prevalent and recognized version of his transgression in contemporary understanding.
According to Pindar's 'Olympian Ode', what did Pindar suggest was Tantalus's actual offense after dismissing the cannibal feast story?
Answer: Stealing nectar and ambrosia and giving them to mortals.
Pindar posits that Tantalus's true crime, after rejecting the cannibalistic narrative, was the theft of nectar and ambrosia, which he then shared with human acquaintances.
Which crime did Diodorus Siculus and Ovid attribute to Tantalus?
Answer: Sharing the intimate conversations and secrets of the gods with mortals.
Both Diodorus Siculus and Ovid identify Tantalus's transgression as the betrayal of divine confidence through the disclosure of sacred secrets to mortals.
In one tradition, Tantalus was implicated in the theft of what item belonging to Rhea?
Answer: A golden dog
Certain mythological accounts place Tantalus in possession of a stolen golden dog, originally entrusted to him by Pandareus, which Rhea had placed to guard the infant Zeus.
According to Apollodorus, what was the consequence for Tantalus after he falsely swore he never received the stolen golden dog?
Answer: Zeus struck him with a thunderbolt and placed Mount Sipylus on him.
Apollodorus recounts that Tantalus's false oath concerning the golden dog resulted in direct retribution from Zeus, manifesting as a thunderbolt strike and the crushing weight of Mount Sipylus.
The English verb 'tantalize' derives etymologically from the punishment of the Greek mythological figure Tantalus.
Answer: True
The English word 'tantalize,' signifying the act of tormenting with the sight or promise of something desired but unattainable, originates directly from the name and perpetual torment of Tantalus in Greek mythology.
In ancient Greece, the proverb 'Tantalean punishment' denoted situations where individuals easily obtained all they desired.
Answer: False
Conversely, the ancient Greek proverb 'Tantalean punishment' referred to the torment of having desirable objects perpetually out of reach, symbolizing frustration and unattainable desire.
The phrase 'the rock of Tantalus' was used proverbially to signify a state of perpetual imminent peril, akin to the Sword of Damocles.
Answer: True
The imagery of the hanging rock became a potent symbol for constant, impending danger, drawing parallels with other classical metaphors for precarious situations.
Homer's Odyssey describes Tantalus enduring thirst and hunger due to receding water and eluding fruit.
Answer: True
In Book XI of the Odyssey, Odysseus encounters Tantalus in Hades, suffering the iconic punishment of being surrounded by water that recedes when he attempts to drink and fruit that evades his grasp.
Earlier Greek sources commonly describe Tantalus's punishment as being tormented by unattainable food and water.
Answer: False
While the Odyssey depicts the torment of unattainable food and water, earlier Greek sources more frequently describe Tantalus's punishment as being subjected to a large, menacing rock suspended perpetually above him.
Poets such as Archilochus and Alcman referenced the punishment of the rock associated with Tantalus.
Answer: True
Fragments from early Greek poets like Archilochus, Alcman, and Alcaeus attest to the tradition of Tantalus being punished by a hanging rock.
Roman authors such as Horace and Lucretius alluded to Tantalus's punishment in their writings.
Answer: True
Classical Roman literature, including works by Horace, Lucretius, and Vergil, frequently references Tantalus's punishment, adapting the myth to their own literary and philosophical contexts.
The variation between the rock punishment and the water/fruit punishment suggests the myth remained static throughout antiquity.
Answer: False
The differing accounts of Tantalus's punishment indicate that the myth was fluid and evolved over time, with various traditions emphasizing different aspects of his torment.
What is Tantalus most famously known for today, according to the source?
Answer: His eternal punishment in Tartarus, the source of the word 'tantalize'.
While Tantalus held royal status and was involved in various myths, his enduring fame stems primarily from his eternal punishment in the underworld, which directly gave rise to the English verb 'tantalize'.
Which Greek mythological figure's punishment directly led to the English word 'tantalize'?
Answer: Tantalus
The English word 'tantalize,' meaning to tease or torment with the sight or promise of something unattainable, is derived directly from the name and myth of Tantalus and his perpetual state of unfulfilled desire.
What does the ancient Greek proverb 'Tantalean punishment' signify?
Answer: The torment of having something desirable but perpetually out of reach.
The proverb encapsulates the essence of Tantalus's punishment: the agonizing experience of being surrounded by that which is most desired (food, water) yet being unable to attain it.
Which punishment is described in the Odyssey for Tantalus?
Answer: Standing in water that recedes and fruit that eludes his grasp.
Homer's Odyssey vividly portrays Tantalus's torment: he stands in water that vanishes upon his attempt to drink and beneath trees bearing fruit that recedes when he reaches for it.
What is a more common variant of Tantalus's punishment found in earlier Greek sources?
Answer: A large stone perpetually suspended above his head.
Prior to the Odyssey's popularization of the water and fruit torment, earlier literary traditions frequently described Tantalus's punishment as the perpetual threat of a massive stone hanging overhead.
Which Roman author alluded to Tantalus's punishment by describing the fear of a boulder hanging over him?
Answer: Lucretius
Lucretius, in his philosophical poem 'De Rerum Natura', references the psychological torment associated with Tantalus's punishment, specifically the fear induced by a looming boulder.
What does the variation in Tantalus's punishment (e.g., rock vs. water/fruit) suggest about the myth?
Answer: That the myth evolved over time with different traditions.
The differing accounts of Tantalus's punishment across various sources indicate that the myth was not static but underwent evolution and adaptation through different literary and cultural traditions.
R.S.P. Beekes concurs that the Greek word 'talas' (wretched) is definitively inherited from Proto-Indo-European.
Answer: False
Linguistic scholarship on the etymology of 'talas' is divided; while some propose a Proto-Indo-European origin, R.S.P. Beekes explicitly rejects this hypothesis.
The myth of Tantalus is theorized by some scholars to possess a historical foundation, potentially relating to an actual ruler of an Anatolian city.
Answer: True
Certain academic perspectives suggest the myth may be rooted in historical memory, possibly referencing a ruler from an Anatolian city such as 'Tantalís' or 'Sipylus'.
Tantalus's city was purportedly situated in eastern Anatolia, in proximity to Cappadocia.
Answer: False
Sources generally place Tantalus's city in western Anatolia, specifically in the region that later became known as Lydia, rather than eastern Anatolia.
Tantalus is identified in various sources as King of Phrygia, with other accounts placing his origins in Paphlagonia.
Answer: True
Ancient texts present differing geographical origins for Tantalus, variously associating him with Phrygia and Paphlagonia, both regions within Asia Minor.
According to the geographer Strabo, Tantalus derived his wealth primarily from trade routes traversing Phrygia.
Answer: False
Strabo indicates that Tantalus's wealth originated not from trade routes, but from the mineral resources found in the mines of Phrygia and Mount Sipylus.
Archaeological sites, including a tholos tomb on Mount Yamanlar and the 'throne of Pelops' on Mount Sipylus, are conjectured to be linked to Tantalus and his lineage.
Answer: True
The identification of these archaeological features in modern Turkey provides tangible, albeit speculative, connections to the historical and geographical context of the Tantalus myth.
A proposed linguistic connection suggests Tantalus's name might derive from the Hittite king Hantili.
Answer: True
This linguistic hypothesis posits a link between the Greek mythological figure and ancient Anatolian history, specifically through the name of a Hittite ruler.
Lydia, Phrygia, and Paphlagonia are primary locations associated with Tantalus's origin or abode.
Answer: True
These regions in Asia Minor are consistently mentioned in classical sources as the geographical settings for Tantalus's kingdom or place of origin.
Which scholar rejects the Proto-Indo-European origin for the Greek word 'talas'?
Answer: R.S.P. Beekes
The linguist R.S.P. Beekes has critically examined the etymology of 'talas' and does not support the hypothesis that it is a direct inheritance from Proto-Indo-European.
What historical basis is suggested for the myth of Tantalus?
Answer: A ruler of an Anatolian city named 'Tantalís' or 'Sipylus'.
Scholarly inquiry suggests the myth may originate from historical accounts of a ruler in western Anatolia, possibly associated with cities named Tantalís or Sipylus.
Tantalus's city is believed to have been located in which region, potentially linking him to a primordial ruling house?
Answer: Lydia
Classical sources indicate Tantalus's city was situated in western Anatolia, within the region later identified as Lydia, a location that has led to associations with an ancient Lydian ruling dynasty.
According to the geographer Strabo, from where did Tantalus derive his wealth?
Answer: From the mines located in Phrygia and Mount Sipylus.
Strabo's account specifies that Tantalus's considerable wealth stemmed from the exploitation of mineral resources found in the mines of Phrygia and the region of Mount Sipylus.
Which archaeological site in modern Turkey is conjectured to be associated with Tantalus's son, Pelops?
Answer: The 'throne of Pelops' on Mount Sipylus.
The feature known as the 'throne of Pelops' located on Mount Sipylus is considered by some scholars to be an archaeological link to Tantalus's son, Pelops.
What is a proposed linguistic connection for the name Tantalus, linking it to Anatolian history?
Answer: Derivation from the Hittite king Hantili.
One hypothesis suggests that the name Tantalus may be linguistically related to the Hittite king Hantili, positing an etymological bridge to ancient Anatolian nomenclature.
According to Plato's dialogue 'Cratylus', the name Tantalus is interpreted as signifying 'wishing for a vision'.
Answer: False
Plato, in his dialogue 'Cratylus', interprets the name Tantalus as deriving from the Greek word 'talántatos', meaning 'one who has to bear much' or 'wretched'. The interpretation 'wishing for a vision' is attributed to the Third Vatican Mythographer.
The earliest surviving reference to Tantalus is found in Plato's Republic, describing his punishment.
Answer: False
The earliest extant literary mention of Tantalus appears in Homer's Odyssey, not Plato's Republic. Plato does discuss Tantalus, but later than Homer.
Pindar's 'Olympian Ode' fully supports the narrative of Pelops being served to the gods by Tantalus.
Answer: False
Pindar, while acknowledging the story of Pelops's dismemberment and revival (with an ivory shoulder), explicitly dismisses the cannibalistic aspect as slanderous and offers an alternative account of Pelops's abduction by Poseidon.
In Euripides' play 'Orestes', Tantalus is depicted escaping the boulder by flying between heaven and earth.
Answer: True
Euripides' portrayal in 'Orestes' places Tantalus in a liminal state, actively evading his punishment by moving between celestial and terrestrial realms.
Lycophron's 'Alexandra' is the first surviving source to name Demeter as the deity who consumed part of Pelops.
Answer: True
The poem 'Alexandra' by Lycophron contains the earliest extant reference explicitly identifying Demeter as the goddess involved in the consumption of Pelops.
A later explanation suggests Demeter unknowingly consumed part of Pelops because she was distracted by searching for her daughter Persephone.
Answer: True
Scholia on Lycophron provide a rationale for Demeter's action, attributing it to her profound grief and preoccupation with the search for her abducted daughter, Persephone.
The Vatican Mythographers allegorically interpret Ceres (Demeter) eating Pelops's shoulder as the earth consuming dead bodies.
Answer: True
This allegorical reading by the Vatican Mythographers imbues the myth with symbolic meaning, equating Ceres's action with the earth's natural process of consuming deceased organic matter.
Tantalus appeared in Aeschylus's lost play 'Niobe', where he comforted his daughter.
Answer: True
Fragments and descriptions of Aeschylus's lost tragedy 'Niobe' indicate that Tantalus played a role, appearing to console his daughter after the divine slaughter of her children.
The Third Vatican Mythographer offers an interpretation of Tantalus's name related to suffering.
Answer: True
This medieval collection of myths suggests that Tantalus's name signifies 'wishing for a vision', offering a specific etymological interpretation linked to his condition.
In Plato's dialogue 'Cratylus', how is the name Tantalus interpreted?
Answer: As deriving from 'talántatos', meaning 'who has to bear much' or 'wretched'.
Plato, in 'Cratylus', connects Tantalus's name to the Greek word 'talántatos', suggesting a meaning related to enduring great hardship or suffering, reflecting his mythological fate.
In which epic poem is the earliest surviving reference to Tantalus found?
Answer: Homer's Odyssey
The earliest extant literary mention of Tantalus occurs in Homer's epic poem, the Odyssey, where Odysseus encounters him in the underworld.
What explanation is provided for Demeter's alleged consumption of part of Pelops?
Answer: She was distracted by grief and the search for Persephone.
A later interpretation suggests that Demeter's unwitting consumption of Pelops's flesh occurred while she was consumed by sorrow and actively searching for her lost daughter, Persephone.
In Aeschylus's lost play 'Niobe', what role did Tantalus play?
Answer: He arrived to comfort his daughter Niobe after her children were killed.
Evidence suggests that in Aeschylus's 'Niobe', Tantalus appeared to console his daughter following the tragic demise of her children at the hands of Apollo and Artemis.
Polygnotus's painting at Delphi depicted Tantalus enduring solely the punishment of the hanging boulder.
Answer: False
Pausanias's description of Polygnotus's painting at Delphi indicates that Tantalus was depicted enduring both the rock punishment and the torment of unattainable food and water.
All known depictions of Tantalus in ancient art originate from before the fifth century BCE.
Answer: False
The extant artistic representations of Tantalus date from the fifth century BCE onwards, indicating a development in the visual tradition of the myth during the Classical period and later.
On the 'name vase' of the Underworld Painter, Tantalus is depicted pointing to a rock from which he is trying to flee.
Answer: True
This Apulian red-figure vase provides a specific visual representation of Tantalus in relation to the hanging rock, illustrating his attempt to escape this form of torment.
The depictions of Tantalus's 'rock' punishment are the only known artistic representations of this specific form of his torment.
Answer: True
While other aspects of Tantalus's punishment are depicted, the specific imagery of the hanging rock appears to be uniquely represented in the surviving ancient artworks.
On the Velletri Sarcophagus, Tantalus is shown standing in deep water, attempting to drink.
Answer: False
The Velletri Sarcophagus depicts Tantalus standing in water up to his knees, attempting to scoop it with his hands to drink, rather than standing in deep water.
The 'See also' section lists Prometheus, Sisyphus, and Xenia as related concepts.
Answer: True
These related concepts highlight thematic connections within Greek mythology, particularly concerning divine punishment, hubris, and the violation of hospitality.
Tantalus's transgression of violating Xenia (hospitality) is mentioned as a related concept.
Answer: True
The concept of Xenia, the sacred guest-host relationship, is often cited as a principle that Tantalus violated, contributing to his condemnation.
The punishment involving a rock hanging above Tantalus is the most common depiction in surviving ancient art.
Answer: False
While the rock punishment is prominent in earlier literary sources, surviving ancient art more frequently depicts Tantalus suffering the torment of unattainable food and water.
What is significant about the depictions of Tantalus's 'rock' punishment in art?
Answer: They are the only known artistic representations of that specific form of his torment.
While the rock punishment is attested in literature, surviving visual art predominantly features Tantalus suffering from thirst and hunger; the rock motif appears to be uniquely preserved in specific artistic examples like the 'name vase'.
On the Velletri Sarcophagus, how is Tantalus depicted in relation to the water?
Answer: He is standing in water up to his knees, attempting to drink.
The Velletri Sarcophagus portrays Tantalus in a specific posture: standing in knee-deep water, with cupped hands raised as if to drink, illustrating his perpetual state of thirst.
Which concept listed in the 'See also' section relates to Tantalus's violation of divine or guest rules?
Answer: Xenia
Xenia, the ancient Greek concept of hospitality and guest-friendship, is frequently cited as a fundamental principle that Tantalus transgressed, contributing to his condemnation.