In Greek legend, Tantalus was the son of Zeus or Pluto. According to one account he stole the nectar and ambrosia of the gods. He was a confirmed gossip. For revealing the secrets of the gods Tantalus was condemned to eternal thirst and hunger. Aeneas saw him in the lower world. He stood in a pool, his chin level with the water; yet whenever he stooped his hoary head to drink, the water fled away and left his lips and throat parched with thirst. The boughs of fruit trees laden with luscious fruits, pears, pomegranates, apples, and figs bent over his head; yet whenever he put forth his hand to seize the fruit, the wind tossed the branches out of his reach. Our word to tantalize is derived from the name Tantalus.
