Galatea

= = = = = = = __I. Lineage and Relationships__  = = = = Because she is a mere statue, Galatea has no parents, but a creator, Pygmalion, who later on ends up becoming her husband. She and her husband have a son, Paphos. In other versions, however, the couple also has a daughter named Metharme. =

= = = Though much isn't known about Galatea's behavior, due in part to being a statue for most of her myth, it can be inferred that she was a very loving, yet impulsive woman, as she instantly fell in love with Pygmalion literally at first sight. What is known about her, though, is that before and after she was brought to life, she was a physically perfect human being, beautiful beyond compare, and the ideal woman in the eyes of a man like King Pygmalion. = = = = = = = = = = =
 * __II. Character Profile__ **

= = = __III. Mythology __ = = = = Pygmalion, king of Cyprus, was a very picky man and did not deem any of the women around him worthy of having his hand in marriage. Being a master sculptor, one day, he molded a life-sized woman out of ivory, a physical manifestation of his perfect woman, naming it Galatea. He fell so in love with his masterpiece that he would spend hours just staring at it, admiring its impeccable beauty. Sometimes, he treated it as if it were alive, but he knew that it was not. During the festival of the goddess Aphrodite, he prayed to the Goddess of Love to grant his wish and bring his creation to life. Seeing how the sculpture was a clear facsimile of herself, the flattered goddess breathed life into Galatea. Upon arriving home, Pygmalion kissed Galatea, realizing that she was no longer inanimate, but alive. Immediately in love, the two were wed, remembering Aphrodite's gift, and living happily ever after with their son Paphos. = = = = = = = = = = __IV. Influences__ = Galatea's story inspired a popular trope, spawning several stories of statues coming to life. This is an allusion that is still seen frequently in modern literature. Her story also clearly depicted and explained why Aphrodite was such a cult image in Paphos, the Greek city named after Galatea’s son, and how the united reverence of the people for the Goddess of Love led to the city’s founding.

**__V.__** **__Trivia__**
 * Galatea means “she who is milk-white”


 * Galatea is the name of an award-winning year 2000 interactive fiction video game that has Galatea appear as the non-playable protagonist.


 * Roman poet Ovid wrote an adaptation of Galatea’s story in his poem // Metamorphoses //
 * Since 1907, there have been 16 film adaptations of the classic Galatea myth.

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**__VI. Sources:__**
= [] [] [] [] [] http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/ba/Galatea_computer_game_screenshot.png/250px-Galatea_computer_game_screenshot.png [|**http://lafayettewright.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/595152-pinocchio2_large1.jpg**] [|**http://cather.unl.edu/images/journalism/cat.j_notes.01140.002 .jpg**]**[]**=