Sisyphus and Corvus, perched in a tree, l-o-n-g-i-n-g…
As Ovid tells the tale in his Fasti, one fine day, Apollo was planning to make a sacrifice to the king of the gods, Zeus. He needed a cup of water, so he sent the Crow to fetch some from a nearby brook. Corvus picked up Crater, Apollo’s cup, and flew off to do its duty.
Of course, it flubbed the job. A fig tree full of unripe fruit beckoned, and the lazy bird decided to wait around until the figs ripened.
Several days later, the crow finally ate the figs. With its hunger sated, it realized that Apollo was going to be livid when it returned to its home base on Mount Olympus. In desperation, it picked up Hydra, the Water Snake, and flew back to Apollo with his tail between its legs.
Corvus somewhat sheepishly claimed that the snake had been blocking its access to the water, an alibi that Apollo didn’t buy into for a minute. Apollo was, after all, the god of learning and prophecy, so it was easy for him to see through the Crow’s pitiful deception and devise a unique and fitting punishment.
The Crow must forever ride the back of the Water Snake. The cup is there as well, full to the brim with water. Corvus must forever look, forever struggle, but in vain. The snake blocks the Crow’s access to the cool drink it desires above all else.
Tom Burns, Hydra, Crater and Corvus: A celestial tableau
Holy shitballs Batman