# Sisyphean Effort

![](https://1941201815-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LZ2Jwp7mRP9HqIZtQ_h%2Fuploads%2FDsO58REWX53wbah1GO05%2Fsisyphean.png?alt=media\&token=f4b0abeb-4b82-4900-a0bf-b1e43f257c87)

In [Greek mythology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_mythology) **Sisyphus** or **Sisyphos** ([/ˈsɪsɪfəs/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English); [Ancient Greek](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek): Σίσυφος Sísuphos) was the king of [Ephyra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cichyrus) (now known as [Corinth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinth)). He was punished for his self-aggrandizing craftiness and deceitfulness by being forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll down when it nears the top, repeating this action for eternity. Through the [classical influence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classicism) on modern culture, tasks that are both [laborious](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/laborious#Adjective) and [futile](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/futile#Adjective) are therefore described as **Sisyphean** ([/ˌsɪsɪˈfiːən/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English)).