Tantalum flour, the meaning and origin of the phraseological unit briefly. "Tantalum Torments"
Ancient Greek mythology is extremely interesting and instructive. The pantheon of gods worshiped by the ancient Greeks is rich in characters. Legends store information about the relationship between immortals and people, showing how those who attracted attention with good or terrifying deeds were rewarded and punished. The children of gods and goddesses led an earthly existence, many of them became heroes of numerous legends.
It is interesting that some expressions have survived to this day - idioms that are associated with one or another myth. The phrases “Achilles' heel” (vulnerable point), “Sisyphean labor” (useless task) or “Tantalum's torment” (unbearable torment) are well known. But not everyone knows the original sources themselves and does not always understand that each idiom has its own history. The myth of Tantalus is instructive. It helps to understand the nature of unseemly human actions, which ultimately lead to harsh but fair punishment.
The Legend of Tantalus
There are several myths about tantalum torment; a brief summary of the most common version will help you understand why the favorite of the gods was punished.
Son of Zeus
According to legend, Tantalus was the son of the supreme deity of Olympus, Zeus the Thunderer, and an earthly woman named Pluto. The father took good care of his son: he made him the supreme ruler of the richest territory near Mount Sipila (Lydia). The city of the same name was ruled by Tantalus, he was given everything a person could want. Abundant lands provided food, valuable fine-fleeced sheep and steep-horned bulls grazed in the pastures, herds of fast horses frolicked in the vast meadows. The depths of Sipylus abounded in jewelry, and gold could be scooped up in handfuls directly from the riverbed. Pactola flowed through the domain and was gold-bearing.
But earthly wealth is not the only thing that the son of Zeus was gifted with. The celestials themselves accepted a mortal as an equal. They went down to his luxurious palace, inlaid with gold, and feasted there. And sometimes the king was given the opportunity to visit the divine Olympus, where he not only feasted, but also attended important meetings where human destinies were decided.
One can only envy such a life. Tantalus was given great honors, he had everything in abundance, life could become an endless holiday and a source of pleasure. But the proud man, spoiled by divine attention and protection, imagined himself equal to the deities. He didn’t have enough attention from above; he also decided to enjoy his superiority over mortals. He began to steal nectar and ambrosia from Olympus, treat his friends, spill secrets he heard at meetings, and boast about his connections with the celestials.
Zeus was dissatisfied with this behavior, he was angry, but forgave his beloved son. To show his love even more, he offered to make any wish come true one day. The father was amazed by his son’s stupid and proud answer; he refused the favors offered, and even with offensive words. So he answered: “I don’t need your favors; without that I’m happy and rich beyond measure. The lot that befell me is better and more beautiful than those that befell the immortal gods.” Zeus was offended, offended, but found the strength to forgive his stupid son and once again showed his fatherly love.
But such forgiveness did not do any good. King Sipila was completely forgotten. He began to show disrespect for other residents of Olympus, insulting and deceiving them. The next offense was unprecedented. He hid the Golden Dog, which guarded the Temple of Zeus on the island of Crete. The dog once guarded the sacred goat Amalthea, who suckled Zeus himself, and the Thunderer himself was under the protection of the Golden Dog in infancy.
According to one version, Tantalus himself stole it, according to another, he simply hid it, and the kidnapper was Pandareus, the king of Ephesus.
Zeus the Thunderer instantly found out where the Golden Dog was hidden and sent Hermes to the son with a demand to return the Golden Dog to its owner. But the words of the messenger did not enlighten the proud man. He replied that the gods were mistaken, he did not have a dog. And he swore a terrible oath to this. Once again the Thunderer forgave the offense and left his impudent behavior without punishment.
The last crime against the celestials
The last straw that overflowed the cup of patience was the horrific crime of King Sipil. He decided to prove that the gods are not all-seeing, and he chose a terrible way to do this. He invited all the inhabitants of heaven to the feast and presented a meat dish as a treat. The horror was that in order to prepare the dish, he killed his own son Pelops. The inhabitants of Olympus refused such a treat and realized what kind of meat was in front of them. Only Demeter, who did not notice anything around because of the disappearance of her daughter Persephone, mechanically ate a piece of the shoulder blade.
The inhabitants of Olympus could not tolerate such a cruel act and insult. Pelops was immediately revived, and in place of the shoulder blade eaten by Demeter, they put a new one, which Hephaestus immediately made from ivory. The criminal was immediately sent to the kingdom of Hades, where he was placed in a river, neck-deep in water, unable to move.
That's how it is summary myth. What was the punishment and why did the expression “tantalum torment” appear? The fact is that the water reaches the chin of the overthrown king. He wants to drink, but as soon as he bends down, the water disappears completely, leaving only dry earth in its place. And fruit hangs above the proud man’s head. But it’s also impossible to get them: he reaches out to the branch for the fruit, and the wind blows it to the side. So the punished man stands in one place, food and water are nearby, but he cannot get either one or the other. And he is tormented by eternal hunger and thirst. And a huge rock hangs over him, ready to fall on his head at any moment. And fear constantly squeezes the heart, because every moment could be the last.
What does the myth of Tantalus teach?
After a brief presentation of ancient Greek mythology about Tantalus, it becomes clear that pride, stupidity and ingratitude will sooner or later lead to trouble. King Sipylus had everything: the favor of Zeus the Thunderer, the most supreme ruler of Olympus. All immortals accepted mortals as equals. On the land of wealth there was untold power and prosperity. But the proud man did not appreciate all this, decided to go against the will of the gods, prove that they are not all-seeing, and doubted their power. And he was punished, doomed to eternal torment.
Which have been used unchanged for many years. Behind such turns of phrase are historical facts and events of the past, even real people. These expressions are combinations of words that individually often mean something completely different and have a different meaning. Such phrases are called phraseological units. Sometimes they use proper names. Often in our speech we encounter the following expressions: “Pandora’s box”, “Achilles’ heel” or “Tantalus’s torment”. The meaning of a phraseological unit of this type can be understood only if you know the events that led to the appearance of this expression. Most of these phrases are taken from ancient Greek culture.
Myths - the source of phraseological units
IN ancient Greek culture a huge layer of myths and legends about the deeds of gods and heroes has been accumulated. They have been the source for many centuries set expressions. One of them is the “torment of Tantalus”. The meaning of phraseological units becomes clear if you know mythology. lived on Olympus. They had the same vices as people and spent a lot of time in feasts and fun.
Mortals were sometimes invited to these meetings - children of the gods and ordinary people. The Phrygian king Tantalus was also awarded this honor. He was the nymph Pluto, and the gods loved him, often invited him to Olympus and visited his luxurious palace. He was very rich and lived happily. Why is it that only the expression “the torment of Tantalus” has been preserved in history? Its meaning will become clear if we study the further fate of this king. Tantalus became arrogant, became proud and committed several unseemly acts, for which he was punished by the gods. He was cast into Tartarus and subjected to terrible torture.
Why was Tantalus punished?
1. According to one version, he became so proud that he boasted a lot to people about his friendship with the gods and even betrayed their secrets.
2. According to another opinion, Tantalus wanted to steal ambrosia and divine nectar from Olympus in order to give them to people. But since they bestowed immortality, Zeus could not allow this.
3. The most common version of the appearance of the expression “the torment of Tantalus” is his murder of his son. The gods often dined in his palace. And one day the king wanted to test the all-vision of the gods and, having slaughtered his son, served them a dish of his meat for lunch. But the gods did not eat it, they loved Pelops, so they revived him, and Tantalus himself was severely punished. He was banished to hell so that he could atone for his guilt through suffering.
Torments of Tantalus
What tests was the former favorite of the gods subjected to in Tartarus? He experienced excruciating thirst, terrible hunger and fear. Therefore, the phraseology “torment of Tantalus” is not
very different from its original meaning. The Phrygian king stood up to his neck in clear water, but was very thirsty. After all, when he wanted to drink, the water quickly disappeared. There were many ripe fruits hanging over Tantalus's head, but he was experiencing terrible hunger. After all, as soon as he extended his hand, the branches moved away from him. In addition, he was in constant fear because a huge rock was hanging over his head, ready to collapse. This is how the torment of Tantalus is described in myths.
The meaning of phraseological units today
The punishment of the Phrygian king was so revealing and cruel that this story is instructive even now. People consider the torment of Tantalus very cruel. The meaning of a phraseological unit in modern speech is various experiences or torment caused by the inability to achieve a desired and so close goal. This is what they say about a person who endures cruel torment, endless suffering.
Often the expression “torment of Tantalus” is used when there is a lack of some vital things - for example, food or sleep. But sometimes this phraseological unit is used in relation to phenomena that are not very important, but have great value for a person. It seems easy to achieve the goal, but it is impossible. The expression “tantalum torment” can also be used figuratively to give an ironic meaning to speech.
Most phraseological units originating in ancient Greek mythology are used mainly in fiction and journalism. The expression “torment of Tantalus” is no exception. Its meaning is unclear to many people, and it is almost never used in ordinary conversations. But every cultured and educated person should know what it means.
Many have heard the expression “tantalum flour”. It's not as popular as it is, but still. However, not everyone will immediately answer what the essence is and what legend this phraseological unit comes from.
Let's find out this by turning to the ancient Greek legend.
The supreme god Zeus had many children, but Tantalus was the most beloved. From early childhood, his father praised the boy for every little thing, telling him that he was the smartest, handsomest and most worthy. The other gods also loved and spoiled him very much. Therefore, Tantalus grew up very proud, ambitious and ambitious. His father gave him riches and sent him to live on Earth. Tantalus became king of the city of Lydia, whose inhabitants loved him and did not need anything. Moreover, at any time he could ascend to Olympus, take part in any feast of the gods and listen to any conversations of the celestials. It is clear that Tantalus knew many secrets of the gods.
At one point, it seemed to Tantalus that this was not enough, he wanted more: so that all people knew how powerful he was and how close to the gods. From that moment on, he forgot about honor and conscience, that the gods considered him their friend, and betrayed them.
Tantalus began to tell people about the secret decisions that Zeus made. With his characteristic selfishness, he did not even realize that he was betraying his loving father.
Descending to Earth from the feasts of the gods, he began to steal the food of the gods from the tables - nectar and ambrosia - and distribute them to people. At the same time boasting, they say, we eat with the gods!
The latter began to hear rumors about Tantalus’s unworthy behavior, but Zeus did not want to believe in his son’s betrayal and forgave him.
Perhaps everything would have been forgotten if Tantalus had stopped. But he continued to do new nasty things.
Zeus had a golden dog, which he loved very much, because she had been with him since childhood. When Zeus grew up and became the supreme god, he placed his favorite at the entrance to his temple. One day this golden dog was stolen by the dishonest king of Ephesus, Pandareus. He was afraid to keep her and asked Tantalus to hide the dog. He immediately recognized it, but took it anyway, glad that he had a chance to deceive the gods. Zeus, being omniscient, learned the truth and sent Hermes to Tantalus for the golden dog. But he said that he didn’t have any dog, and swore to it! And even the perjury did not open the eyes of Zeus - he again forgave Tantalus.
What happened next was even worse. Tantalus decided to test the celestials to see if they had clairvoyance. He invited them to his feast, having first killed his little son Pelops. Tantalus cut it into pieces and offered the gods to taste this dish. But they saw through the plan of the evil Tantalus and refused. Only Zeus’s sister Demeter, whose daughter had just disappeared, did not realize where she was and what she was doing. She took a piece of meat and took a bite - it was the boy’s shoulder. The gods were horrified by what was happening, their patience ran out, and they decided to punish Tantalus. First they decided to resurrect the child. Having collected all the pieces of meat from the tables, the gods threw them into a cauldron of boiling water. At that moment, another son of Zeus, Hermes, who owned magic, resurrected the boy. He became even more beautiful than before, that's just right shoulder was bitten off by Demeter. Hermes made it from ivory.
This was the last incident, after which the unfortunate father finally finally realized what a monster his precious son had turned into. And he prepared a terrible punishment for him. Tantalus was lowered into the underworld of Hades and placed in water that reached his throat. The water was fresh, cool and clean, but the unfortunate man could not quench his thirst. As soon as he bent down to drink the water, it immediately disappeared - and there was only dry, cracked earth around. The same thing happened with food. There were various fruit trees with ripe, large fruits. They inclined their branches directly towards Tantalus’s face, but as soon as he stretched out his hands in the hope of plucking something and tried to bite off a piece, the branches moved away.
But this, too, seemed to Zeus, who had regained his sight, a small payment for the sins committed by Tantalus. He erected a huge rock, one edge of which hung over the poor fellow standing up to his neck in water. So, on top of everything else, there was added an insane fear of being crushed by a broken block of stone.
This is such a legend. Nowadays, the meaning of the phraseological unit “tantalum torment” is as follows: it is used when they talk about severe torment due to the proximity of a desired goal that cannot be achieved.
Let us also remember about and what the island is famous for The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -
Tantalum flour (meaning) - unbearable torment caused by contemplation of the proximity of the desired goal and the consciousness of powerlessness, the impossibility of achieving it ( Dictionary , 1935-1940).
According to ancient Greek myth, King Tantalus of Phrygia was a favorite of the gods and was often invited to their feasts. But, being proud, he offended the gods. For this, as punishment, he was sent to Tartarus, where he stands up to his neck in water, but cannot get drunk. The water recedes from him as soon as he lowers his head to drink. Luxurious fruits hanging above his head deviate from his hands. Therefore, he is forever doomed to experience unbearable pangs of hunger and thirst.
"Later I saw Tantalus, executed with a terrible execution:
In the bright lake he stood up to his neck in water and, languid,
With a burning thirst, he tried in vain to choke on water.
585 Just now he bowed his head to her, hoping to get drunk,
She ran away noisily; below under your feet it appeared
Black bottom, and it was drained in an instant by the demon.
Many fruitful trees grew above his head,
Apple trees, and pears, and pomegranates, abundant in golden fruits,
590 Also sweet fig trees and olive trees, blooming luxuriously.
Tormented by hunger, as soon as he stretched out his hand to the fruits,
At once all the branches of the trees rose darkly towards the clouds.”
The myth of Tantalus according to Kuhn N.A.
“In Lydia, near Mount Sipila, there was a rich city, called by the name of Mount Sipila. In this city, the favorite of the gods, the son of Zeus Tantalus, ruled. The gods rewarded him with everything in abundance. There was no one on earth who was richer and happier than King Sipila , Tantalus. The richest gold mines on Mount Sipile gave him innumerable wealth. No one had such fertile fields, no one brought such beautiful fruits to the gardens and vineyards. Huge herds of fine-fleeced sheep, steep-horned bulls, and cows grazed in the meadows of Tantalus, the favorite of the gods. and herds of horses fast as the wind. King Tantalus had an abundance of everything. He could have lived in happiness and contentment until old age, but excessive pride and crime ruined him.
The gods looked at their favorite Tantalus as their equal. The Olympians often came to the golden halls of Tantalus and feasted merrily with him. Even to the bright Olympus, where no mortal ascends, Tantalus more than once ascended at the call of the gods. There he took part in the council of the gods and feasted at the same table with them in the palace of his father, the thunderer Zeus. Tantalus became proud from such great happiness. He began to consider himself equal to even the cloud-killer Zeus himself. Often, returning from Olympus, Tantalus took with him the food of the gods - ambrosia and nectar - and gave them to his mortal friends, feasting with them in his palace. Even those decisions that the gods made when conferring on bright Olympus about the fate of the world, Tantalus informed people; he did not keep the secrets that his father Zeus confided to him. One day, during a feast on Olympus, the great son Cronus turned to Tantalus and said to him:
My son, I will fulfill whatever you wish, ask me for whatever you want. Out of love for you, I will fulfill any of your requests.
But Tantalus, forgetting that he was only a mortal, proudly answered his father, the aegis-powerful Zeus:
I don't need your favors. I don't need anything. The lot that has befallen me is more beautiful than the lot of the immortal gods.
The Thunderer did not answer his son. He frowned menacingly, but restrained his anger. He still loved his son, despite his arrogance. Soon Tantalus twice cruelly insulted the immortal gods. Only then did Zeus punish the arrogant one.
In Crete, the homeland of the Thunderer, there was a golden dog. She once guarded the newborn Zeus and the wonderful goat Amalthea who fed him. When Zeus grew up and took away the power over the world from Cronus, he left this dog in Crete to guard his sanctuary. The king of Ephesus, Pandareus, seduced by the beauty and strength of this dog, secretly came to Crete and took it away on his ship from Crete. But where to hide this wonderful animal? Pandarey thought about this for a long time during his journey across the sea and finally decided to give the golden dog to Tantalus for safekeeping. King Sipila hid the wonderful animal from the gods. Zeus was angry. He called his son, the messenger of the gods Hermes, and sent him to Tantalus to demand the return of the golden dog. In the blink of an eye, fast Hermes rushed from Olympus to Sipylus, appeared before Tantalus and said to him:
The king of Ephesus, Pandareus, stole a golden dog from the sanctuary of Zeus in Crete and gave it to you for safekeeping. The gods of Olympus know everything, mortals cannot hide anything from them! Return the dog to Zeus. Beware of incurring the wrath of the Thunderer!
Tantalus answered the messenger of the gods this way:
It is in vain that you threaten me with the wrath of Zeus. I haven't seen a golden dog. The gods are wrong, I don’t have it.
Tantalus swore a terrible oath that he was telling the truth. With this oath he angered Zeus even more. This was the first insult inflicted by Tantalus on the gods. But even now the Thunderer did not punish him.
Tantalus brought upon himself the punishment of the gods as the next, second insult to the gods and a terrible crime. When the Olympians gathered for a feast in the palace of Tantalus, he decided to test their omniscience. King Sipila did not believe in the omniscience of the Olympians. Tantalus prepared a terrible meal for the gods. He killed his son Pelops and his meat under the guise wonderful dish served to the gods during the feast. The gods immediately comprehended Tantalus's evil intent; none of them touched the terrible dish. Only the goddess Demeter, full of grief for her daughter Persephone, who was kidnapped from her, thinking only about her and not noticing anything around in her grief, ate the shoulder of young Pelops. The gods took the terrible dish, put all the meat and bones of Pelops in a cauldron and put it on a brightly blazing fire. Hermes, with his charms, again revived the boy. He appeared before the gods even more beautiful than he was before, the only thing missing was the shoulder that Demeter had eaten. By order of Zeus, the great Hephaestus immediately made a shoulder for Pelops from shiny ivory. Since then, all descendants of Pelops have a bright white spot on their right shoulder.
The crime of Tantalus overflowed the patience of the great king of gods and people, Zeus. The Thunderer overthrew Tantalus into the dark kingdom of his brother Hades; there he suffers a terrible punishment. Tormented by thirst and hunger, he stands in clear water. It reaches all the way to his chin. He only has to bend down to quench his painful thirst. But as soon as Tantalus bends down, the water disappears, and under his feet there is only dry black earth. The branches of fertile trees bend over Tantalus's head: juicy figs, ruddy apples, pomegranates, pears and olives hang low above his head; Heavy, ripe bunches of grapes almost touch his hair. Exhausted by hunger, Tantalus stretches out his hands for the beautiful fruits, but a gust of stormy wind blows in and carries away the fruitful branches. Not only hunger and thirst torment Tantalus, eternal fear squeezes his heart. A rock hangs over his head, barely holding on, threatening every minute to fall and crush Tantalus with its weight. This is how King Sipila, the son of Zeus Tantalus, suffers in the kingdom of the terrible Hades with eternal fear, hunger and thirst."
Examples
“At this time, loud applause and the pretty voice of Princess Rozhkina were heard outside the door, singing “I am again before you...” The secretary’s heart began to flutter. Torments of Tantalus were beyond his strength."