Sisyphus had to roll a heavy stone to the top of a hill. When the stone rolled down to the bottom he had to start again.
The Danaids, fifty young virgins, had to fill fifty bottomless jars with water.
These were punishments in the life after death, according to the Ancient Greeks. And also symbols of a life of never-ending work and frustration.
Ancient Greek mythology is at the base of all European culture.
But the British have found a powerful symbol in a piece of 19th Century engineering.
The railway bridge over the River Forth in Scotland was built in 1890. Is is 2,529 metres long and contains 84,000 tonnes of steel.
It is repainted continuously to prevent rusting. The process takes three years and they use 54 tonnes of paint for one coat. When the painters have finished, they start again.
Faced with a never-ending job an Englishman will often say: "It's like painting the Forth Bridge" =)
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