The rest of Thanatos left humans on Earth unable to die; their souls lingered in their bodies, unwilling to depart. As more and more people discovered that death no longer came, they celebrated this boon with wild abandon.
Though some human bodies were shattered by conflict, their consciousness remained intact. Those afflicted by illness could not return to the silence of death. Decaying corpses returned to the homes they once lived in. Slaughter and combat became games for amusement. The absence of death turned this celebration into a cacophony of panicked screams.
Their voices reached Mount Olympus, alerting the gods to the anomaly. The gods turned their gaze to the mortal realm to investigate, only to discover that Thanatos, the god of death, had been imprisoned by the human king Sisyphus.
Zeus, in his fury, dispatched Ares, the god of war, to release Thanatos. At that moment, the human and the god were locked in a battle of wits, each trying to guess the other's riddle, neither gaining the upper hand.
Ultimately, Sisyphus emerged victorious by a narrow margin. Thanatos conceded, saying, "O clever Sisyphus, I acknowledge your wisdom. But the gods will eventually learn the truth, and the punishment you receive will be most severe, even affecting your people."
The cunning Sisyphus calmly sipped his wine and replied, "It is precisely because of the gods' curses, and the greed for wealth, joy, and pleasure, that humans devise schemes against the divine. I am merely fulfilling the gifts bestowed by the gods."
In their desire to display their nobility and glory, humans stripped their fellow beings of freedom, creating class divisions. They used morality to restrain those stronger than themselves and force to oppress those weaker. They had their own explanations for everything, which truly baffled Thanatos. These frail lives existed for shorter periods than even a tree or a stone. Their scheming all ended in death; what was the meaning of it all?
Looking at the mortal who had granted him a period of rest, the god of death asked in bewilderment, "Your wisdom is a quality even the gods, who enjoy eternal life, lack. But what do you gain by trapping me? I cannot keep you from the scythe of death, nor can the Fates grant eternal life to a mortal."
"O gentle god of death," Sisyphus replied, "I know well that death is inevitable, but I am unwilling to leave this world in obscurity. Blaspheming the gods would bring me unimaginable suffering, but what I leave behind for humanity can never be erased. When stories about me are passed down and sung, those who come after will know that we can do more than just submit to the gods."
Thanatos listened silently to Sisyphus's explanation, not reprimanding the human's hubris. Instead, the god of death offered Sisyphus a cup of wine as a gesture of respect.
With a thunderous crash, Ares, the god of war, burst through the wall and arrived before Thanatos, reaching out to break the chains that bound the god of death.
"You have cast a shadow upon the glory of the gods! Thanatos, it is time for you to fulfill your duty."
With that, Ares turned and left the ruined palace, not sparing a glance for the culprit standing beside him.
Sisyphus remained unhurried. He drained the wine offered by Thanatos, brushed the dust from his clothes, and calmly awaited his own death.
Upon waking again, Sisyphus found himself in the underworld. By the tranquil Styx, crimson flowers bloomed, and countless souls struggled among them, shedding tears of regret. He was not tempted by the underworld's power and proceeded directly to Hades' Asphodel Meadows, looking up at the assembled gods of the underworld.
Styx, one of the mistresses of the Styx, asked curiously, "O Sisyphus, who deceived the gods, why do you not even glance at the river? Do you not wish for a final look at the things you were so attached to?"
Sisyphus shook his head. "O unknown goddess, I have nothing I cannot bear to part with. Without me, my gentle and virtuous wife will overcome her grief with the company of our children. The wealth I leave them is enough to ensure they are well-fed and clothed. Perhaps it is for the best that I am gone now."
"I admire your wisdom, but it cannot absolve you of your crime. The absence of death caused needless panic among humans, a fact you cannot escape no matter how you justify it."
Styx calmly pronounced Sisyphus's punishment: "You imprisoned a god, holding him captive in your palace. As punishment, you too shall be subjected to confinement."
With that, the goddess bound Sisyphus's soul to a giant boulder. "As long as you can push this stone to the summit of the mountain, your punishment will end."
The goddess's power to invert cause and effect confused the summit and the foot of the mountain. Sisyphus's journey formed a continuous loop; his current position was both the foot and the summit. If the cunning king could decipher this secret, he would find release.
All the gods believed that Styx's punishment would ensure the human who offended them would never reach the mountain's peak, suffering in an endless cycle. This rather creative punishment satisfied the gods, and they turned their attention elsewhere.
Sisyphus pushed the boulder day and night. Thanatos, during his rare moments of leisure, would visit him. In this human's soul, the god of death saw colors he had never witnessed before.
Mount Olympus was not entirely peaceful either. Eros, the mischievous god of love, teased the goddesses' attendants. The nymphs' dissatisfaction reached its peak under Aphrodite's doting indulgence. They requested the queen of the gods, Rhea, to punish the playful god of love, but Rhea appeased them with the excuse that Eros meant no harm.
The nymphs retreated in frustration and turned to the queen's daughter, Artemis, the goddess of nature, for help. Artemis, already displeased with Aphrodite's indulgence in carnal pleasures, had her relationship with the goddess of love worsen after she vowed to remain a virgin. Hearing the attendants' accusations against Eros, she became even more displeased.
Artemis found her twin brother and asked Apollo to reprimand the troublesome god of love. Apollo, who had also often heard the Muses express their dissatisfaction with Eros, agreed to his sister's request.
Thus, Eros, the god of love, was mocked by Apollo, who told the young god not to tease the nymphs with the toys of children. Apollo's mockery angered Eros, who shot a golden arrow at Apollo. These arrows were solidified remnants of the primordial god Eros's divinity. The powerful laws of desire wounded Selene, the moon goddess, and Eos, the dawn goddess, and Apollo was naturally no exception.