Acis
Sicilian shepherd youth beloved by the sea-nymph Galatea and crushed by the jealous Cyclops Polyphemus
The Legend of Acis
Acis was a handsome young shepherd of Sicily, son of the woodland god Faunus and a river nymph. He fell in love with the Nereid Galatea, and she returned his affection. The Cyclops Polyphemus, who also desired Galatea, discovered the two lovers together on the shore beneath Mount Etna. Consumed with jealous rage, the giant tore a massive boulder from the mountainside and hurled it at Acis, crushing him beneath its weight. As the young shepherd's blood flowed from beneath the rock, Galatea used her divine power to transform him into a river, and the stream that emerged became the River Acis, flowing down the slopes of Etna to the sea near modern Acireale. The tale was immortalised by Ovid in the Metamorphoses and became a beloved subject for Baroque painters and composers.
Parents
Faunus and a river nymph
Symbols
Fun Fact
Handel composed a celebrated pastoral opera called Acis and Galatea that remains one of his most performed works
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