in fabulous history, king of Phrygia and Paphlagonia, was the son of Jupiter and the nymph Plota. He one day entertained the gods at his table; when, to prove their divinity, he served up his son Pelops cut in pieces. All the deities, except Ceres, perceived his cruelty and impiety, and would not touch his provisions. That goddess, whose thoughts were solely employed about her daughter Proserpine, inadvertently ate a part of his left shoulder. Pelops, however, was restored to life; and an ivory shoulder given him in the room of that which had been eaten; while Tantalus was thrown into Tartarus, where he was punished with perpetual hunger and thirst. He was chained in a lake; the water of which reached up to his chin, but retired when he attempted to drink. The branch of a tree loaded with fruit hung down even to his lips, but on his attempting to pluck the fruit the branch sprung upwards.

a genus of birds belonging to the order of grallae. See ORNITHOLOGY Index.