Odysseus sees King Sisyphus pushing a boulder in the Underworld.
During his visit to the realm of the dead in Book 11 of the Odyssey, Odysseus encounters several famous figures suffering eternal punishments. Sisyphus is shown forcing a massive stone uphill. Each time he is almost at the summit, the boulder rolls back down, making the labor endlessly futile.
Sisyphus is identified in Greek myth as the king and founder of Ephyra, later associated with Corinth. Ancient stories portray him as exceptionally cunning and as someone who tried to outwit the gods and escape death. His punishment therefore reflects divine retribution for hubris and repeated attempts to defeat the natural order.
The other options are punished differently. Ixion is bound to a fiery, revolving wheel; Tityus is tormented by vultures or eagles; and Tantalus suffers hunger and thirst while food and water remain just out of reach. The modern word “Sisyphean” comes from this image of repetitive, fruitless effort.