"The gods had condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall back of its own weight. They had thought with some reason that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor"

Albert Camus' quote is a referral to the Greek misconception of Sisyphus, a figure who was penalized by the gods for his deceitfulness and hubris. In the myth, Sisyphus is condemned to an eternity of rolling a stone up a mountain, just for it to roll back down once again. Camus' quote recommends that the gods had thought that this was the most dreadful punishment, as it was a futile and helpless labor. The quote suggests that the gods believed that the punishment of Sisyphus was even worse than death, as it was an endless cycle of labor with no reward. This quote works as a suggestion of the power of the gods and the consequences of hubris. It also works as a cautioning to those who may be lured to act in a way that contrasts the gods' will.