**Tantalus** is a figure from Greek mythology, known primarily for his eternal punishment in Tartarus. He was the son of **Zeus** and the nymph **Plouto** (or Pluto) and was a king, often associated with the region of Lydia or the city of Sipylus in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey)[1][2][3][6][9].

### Myth and Punishment
Tantalus was initially welcomed among the gods on Mount Olympus but committed grave offenses:
- He stole **ambrosia** and **nectar** from the gods, intending to give them to his people to make them immortal.
- He later tried to trick the gods by killing his son **Pelops**, cutting him into pieces, and serving him as a meal to the gods. The gods, except **Demeter**, who absentmindedly ate part of Pelops' shoulder, realized the trick and refused to eat. Zeus resurrected Pelops and replaced his missing shoulder with an ivory one forged by Hephaestus[1][2].

As punishment for his crimes, Tantalus was condemned to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree in Tartarus. Whenever he tried to drink, the water would recede, and whenever he reached for fruit, the branches would lift out of his grasp, leaving him in eternal torment. This punishment gave rise to the English word **"tantalize"**, meaning to tease or torment with something desirable but unattainable[1][2][9].