Galatea

A minor sea goddess. Galatea was the daughter of Nereus and Doris. She resided somewhere around Sicily.

Though, she had a lover named Acis, the Cyclops Polyphemus constantly wooed her. Acis was the son of Faunus and the nymph Symaethis, while Polyphemus was the son of Poseidon. Acis was handsome, but the Cyclops was a hideous giant. So Galatea scornfully rejected the Cyclops' overtures.

One day, Polyphemus found Galatea sleeping in her lover's arms. In a jealous rage, Polyphemus tore off a large piece of rock from Mount Aetna and hurled it at the pair. Galatea escaped, but Acis was crushed to death. Galatea mourned for her lover, and transformed Acis into a river god. As to Polyphemus, Galatea's pity turned to hatred for the Cyclops.

As to Polyphemus, he would one day meet an Ithacan hero named Odysseus who would take away his sight. See the Odyssey.

Galatea sometimes appeared in art as a shepherdess, instead of the goddess of the sea.