We often think of the Romans as the most cruel but I can't imagine anyone having a more vindictive and violent imagination than the Greeks. The punishments doled out to the villains of Greek mythology are to be marveled at. Read recently about Tantalus and the origin of the word tantalize. He was made to stand chin-deep in
water with all kind of sweet-smelling and delicious fruit dangling just
over his head, but whenever he tried to drink or eat, the water would
magically recede or the fruit would miraculously be lifted just out of
his reach. It's this torment, through which something seems to be
offered only to be withdrawn again, that has been called, in memory
of its best known victim, "tantalize".
Life does that to us at times. We are often tantalized by hopes and dreams and often times they slip from our grasps. Agony. I am sure we have all been able to sympathize with Tantalus at times. The question is whether or not we continue to reach for the fruit?
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