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The myth of Sisyphus originates from Greek mythology and is often cited as a metaphor for the human condition and the struggle for meaning in life.

Sisyphus was a cunning and deceitful king of Corinth, known for his craftiness and trickery. One of his most infamous deeds was cheating death twice. Firstly, he managed to escape the clutches of the god of death, Thanatos, by chaining him up so that no one on Earth could die. Eventually, Ares intervened and freed Thanatos, leading to Sisyphus' eventual demise.

However, even in death, Sisyphus's cunning did not abandon him. He managed to negotiate with Persephone, the queen of the underworld, to return to the world of the living and punish his wife for not giving him a proper funeral. Once back on Earth, Sisyphus refused to return to the underworld, angering the gods.

As punishment for his defiance and deceit, Sisyphus was condemned to an eternity of rolling a massive boulder up a hill in the underworld, only for it to roll back down each time he reached the summit. He was forced to repeat this futile task for eternity, never able to complete it.

The myth of Sisyphus is often interpreted as a metaphor for the human struggle. Sisyphus represents the absurdity of existence, as he is doomed to endlessly repeat a meaningless task. Philosophers, including Albert Camus, have drawn upon this myth to explore the concept of the absurd, the idea that life is inherently devoid of meaning, yet humans continue to search for it nonetheless. Camus famously declared that Sisyphus must be imagined as happy, as he embraces the struggle and finds purpose in the act of defiance itself.