Tantalus
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Tantalus was a mortal in Greek mythology. He committed many offenses against the gods and goddesses. One night, he tried to serve his son, Pelops' flesh at a banquet. He had invited the gods and goddesses to this banquet and when they discovered this, they punished Tantalus in not only this world, but the next as well. Tantalus's earthly punishment was the ruin of his kingdom, but his punishment in the Tartaros of the Underworld was much worse.
He was made to stand in a pool of water up to his chin for eternity, all the while suffering from eternal huger and eternal thirst. Each time Tantalus bent his head to take a sip of the water he was condemned to stand in, the water would recede. Over his head hung boughs of trees filled with fruit, but when he tried to grasp them, wind would blow them out of his reach. He was therefore TANTALIZED with food and drink, hence the origin of the word.
His son Pelops was restored to life by the gods, and he took refuge in Greece as the ruler of the extensive peninsula which still bears his name, the Peloponesus.
