Tantalum
A chemical element named after King Tantalus of Greek mythology because of the element's tantalising inability to absorb acids, just as Tantalus could never reach the water and fruit surrounding him
The Meaning of Tantalum
Tantalum was discovered in 1802 by the Swedish chemist Anders Gustaf Ekeberg, who named it after King Tantalus because of the element's frustrating chemical behaviour: when placed in acid, tantalum cannot absorb it, just as the mythological Tantalus could never drink the water that surrounded him. In myth, Tantalus was a king of Sipylus in Lydia and a son of Zeus who enjoyed the privilege of dining with the gods on Olympus. He abused this honour in the most horrific way: to test the gods' omniscience, he killed his own son Pelops, cooked his flesh, and served it at a divine banquet. All the gods recognised the deception except Demeter, who was distracted by grief for Persephone and inadvertently ate a piece of Pelops's shoulder. Zeus restored Pelops to life with an ivory shoulder, and Tantalus was condemned to eternal punishment in Tartarus. He stood in a pool of water beneath fruit-laden branches, but whenever he reached for fruit it pulled away, and whenever he bent to drink the water receded. The word "tantalise" derives from this same myth.
Parents
None recorded
Symbols
Fun Fact
The chemist who discovered tantalum named it for the myth of Tantalus because the metal sits in acid without absorbing any — tantalised but never satisfied
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
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