Over the next few weeks I'm going to tell some classic love stories that I like and I hope you will too. This is the story of Pygmalion and Galatea.
Pygmalion was the King of Cyprus. He was attractive and rich so there was no shortage of women vying to be his wife. But Pygmalion had no interest in any of these women, he was cynical and saw through their false charms. The more of these women he met the more he became sure that he would never marry.
Pygmalion was a sculptor and one day bought himself a block of the most beautiful pure,ivory marble. He began sculpting the marble into the shape of a woman. The end result was so beautiful, serene and life-like that Pygmalion fell instantly in love with her. He named his sculpture Galatea and bought her gifts and spoke to her. Every day he fell more in love with the sculpture he had created, next to Galatea the other women he had scorned appeared even more charmless.
It was the festival of Aphrodite and Pygmalion went to her temple to worship her. On his knees in front of the Goddess of Love Pygmalion begged her to provide him a wife who was exactly like his Galatea. Curious about his request Aphrodite went to see the sculpture who inspired such love in the heart-hardened King of Cyprus. On seeing the sculpture of Galatea Aphrodite was flattered at the likeness the sculpture bore to herself. Aphrodite decided to grant the King's wish but not in the way he had expected.
When Pygmalion returned home he went to his beloved sculpture and kissed her lips. But he was surprised to find her lips no longer the hard, cold marble but soft and warm. For Aphrodite had breathed life into Galatea and made her a human woman.
Pygmalion married Galatea and they lived happily in love forever.