Home › Glossary › Letter T

Tantalus

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A king in Greek myth condemned in Hades to stand in water beneath fruit trees, forever unable to eat or drink—symbolizing futile desire.

Detailed Definition
Tantalus, who offended the gods by serving his son as food, stands in a pool beneath fruit trees, but water and fruit recede when he tries to reach them. His name gives us “tantalize.” In poetry, Tantalus represents unfulfilled desire, divine punishment, and the torment of proximity without satisfaction.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Homer’s "Odyssey," Tantalus is punished in Hades, forever reaching for food and water just out of reach; In Virgil’s "Aeneid," Tantalus embodies eternal frustration among the damned; In Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Prometheus Unbound,” Tantalus symbolizes oppressive desire; In W.H. Auden’s “The Age of Anxiety,” Tantalus represents modern unfulfillment; In Tracy K. Smith’s “Watershed,” Tantalus’s pool echoes in systemic deprivation; In modern poetry, Tantalus often signifies the agony of near-attainment.
Additional Notes
Tantalus, punished in Hades by standing in water beneath fruit trees that recede when he reaches for them, symbolizes eternal frustration and the torment of unattainable desire; poets use him to explore addiction, political impasse, or the human condition as perpetual longing—his name gives us “tantalize,” linking myth to everyday psychological experience.
Also Known As
Tormented King Eternal Hunger Sinner of the Feast
Skip to main content