Tartarus is known as a region of the underworld where souls that have committed horrible wrongs are sent to be punished for all of eternity. Many of the prisoners there have gained infamy for their blatant dismissal of rules established by the gods.
Tantalus
Tantalus was the King of Sipylus, and he was given the esteemed privilege to dine with the gods on Mount Olympus. However, once the guests were all seated at the dinner table, Tantalus committed an unspeakable crime. There are three versions of his mischief. The first was that he gossiped with his fellow mortals about what the gods were planning with the human race. Second, he stole some of the coveted divine ambrosia, giving it to many of the mortals below. The third, arguably the most famous and devious of the versions, Tantalus diced his own son, Pelops, and served him for dinner at the table. Most of the gods and goddesses realized that there was something wrong with their dish, but Demeter, still sorrowful about her daughter Persephone’s kidnapping, ate a piece of Pelop's shoulder. The gods were outraged by this display of sinful behavior and forced Tantalus to stay in Tartarus for the rest of eternity. There, he sits thirsty in a pool of water that wanes when he tries to drink, and he reaches for grape vines that grow just barely out of his reach. His audacity to try and trick the gods left him forever tantalized, never able to quench his thirst or hunger.
Sisyphus
Amongst the most famous of the prisoner’s of Tartarus is Sisyphus, the king of Corinth. Known for cheating death twice, this King outplayed the gods and became known as one of the most cunning men. His first maneuver was to outsmart Thanatos, the personification of Death, who was asked by Hades to chain Sisyphus in the Underworld. However, through devious trickery, Sisyphus tied the chains around Thanatos instead, resulting in a period where no one could die. Ares, the god of war, angered that warring was no longer fun without death, freed Thanatos from his own chains. Before Sisyphus died a second time, he asked his wife to not provide the typical funeral offerings and to throw his body into the town square. Once he entered the Underworld, he pleaded to the kind-hearted Persephone, queen of the underworld, that if he were released, he would conduct the proper rituals and return to the land of the dead. Naturally, Sisyphus made no effort to return and lived the rest of his life, having cheated death. The third time, however, Sisyphus was not so lucky, since Zeus himself went and accompanied him to the Underworld. There, Sisyphus was forced to push a boulder up a steep hill. Once the boulder was close to reaching the peak, it would come tumbling down, forcing Sisyphus to repeat this endless, rewardless task.
Ixion
Ixion, the king of Lapiths, grew famous for his cruelty and infidelity. He was the husband of Dia, the daughter of Deioneus, and he promised to give Deioneus a large sum in return for the hand of his daughter. However, once they were wed, Ixion refused to give his father-in-law the agreed price, and Deioneus, in revenge, stole some of Ixion’s horses. Enraged, Ixion arranged a feast and invited his father-in-law. However, once Deioneus arrived, Ixion pushed him into hot coals, killing him and violating the gods’ rules: kinslaying. As a result of his action, he was outcast, but Zeus, feeling pity for the man, invited him to Olympus. Unfortunately, Ixion soon grew fond of Hera, and Zeus was outraged. He arranged clouds in the shape of Hera (later known as Nephele), and tricked Ixion into revealing his feelings for the queen of the gods. He was then thrown into the depths of Tartarus, forced to be bound to a spinning wheel of fire for all of eternity.
The Danaids
The Danaids were the 50 daughters of Danaus, who married the sons of Aegyptus and killed all but one of their husbands on the day of their wedding. The sons of Aegyptus ordered for Danaus to give the hands of his 50 daughters. Although reluctant, Danaus allowed each of his daughters to get married with each of Aegyptus’s sons, but ordered them to kill their husband on the wedding night. During the feast, Danaus gave his daughter each a dagger which would be used to murder their husbands. Once night came and the grooms were asleep, all of the daughters slew their husbands, except for one. Hypermnestra spared Lynceus’s life because he respected her virginity. The other sisters had to bury the heads of their deceased husbands, but the crime they committed did not go unpunished. Today, they attempt to fill a jar with water that is riddled with holes, never able to fully fill it.
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