<P> In Greek mythology Sisyphus or Sisyphos (/ ˈsɪsɪfəs /; Greek: Σίσυφος, Sísuphos) was the king of Ephyra (now known as Corinth). He was punished for his self - aggrandizing craftiness and deceitfulness by being forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll down when it nears the top, repeating this action for eternity . Through the classical influence on modern culture, tasks that are both laborious and futile are therefore described as Sisyphean (/ ˌsɪsɪˈfiːən /). </P> <P> R.S.P. Beekes has suggested a pre-Greek origin and a connection with the root of the word sophos (σοφός, "wise"). Otto Gruppe thought that the name derived from sisys (σίσυς, "a goat's skin"), in reference to a rain - charm in which goats' skins were used . </P>

Who kept pushing the rock up the hill