a full circle

The first seafarer who came to the foot of Mt. Athos in the Greek mainland was welcomed by those barbarians who stood in awe of his majestic appearance. They begged him to settle down among their midst and he did.
The newcomer was curious about the mount whose top was lost in clouds. He climbed as much as he could go and brought down a skin of a legendary snake which was as white as milk. His gift the barbarians brought to the temple as a token of their gratitude to Athena, the goddess of Wisdom. They named him Hero.
Years later Hero’s son took to the mount to bring the pelt of a badger the color of which was unlike anything they had ever seen. It was again consecrated to their goddess. With each generation these rough and barbaric nation became more refined and powerful to the envy of neighboring nations. In their eyes their advancing civilization had something to do with newer heights that Hero’s lineage reached which was farther than the previous achievements. The kind of presents they brought from the mountain got more precious and rare.
Among the descendants of Hero no one was considered heroic and almost godlike than Sisyphus. On the day he came to manhood he declared that he will go farther than all. Before taking on the mountain he sacrificed before the altar of Athena for a prosperous climb. The goddess was pleased with him that he reached the top. He picked as the custom was, a gift: the only gift which was found scattered at the peak.
On reaching the ground he presented a bag full of shells before the temple priest who looked at them for a while. Instead of being happy he grew red in the face and swore that it was indeed a dishonor to Athena.
“Why go all the way to bring some common sea shells?” The shells indeed were what the inhabitants used to spread over the roads.
“What a waste of time and effort?” they said in unison. Sisyphus could only reply, “ This was what lay at the top.”
It was greeted by thunderous guffaws of priests and common people who pushed him as far as to the city gates. Throwing him out of their midst they closed the gate.
When the winged Nike told the goddess what had happened she said that the people did wrong to Sisyphus. His gift of shells was a remainder to their source. Once the sea had covered all over their land. She said,“ A mountain may be taken for holy but still cannot remove its connection with common things.“

benny