Galatea
nymphΓαλάτεια
Sea nymph loved by a Cyclops
Galatea was a Nereid loved by the Cyclops Polyphemus — but she loved the mortal Acis.
The Myth
Polyphemus tried to woo her with songs. When he found her with Acis, he crushed the youth under a boulder. Galatea transformed Acis's blood into a river. Handel's opera Acis and Galatea (1718) is among his finest works.
Parents
Nereus and Doris
Children
Galas (in some versions)
Symbols
milk-white skinsea foamAcis river
Fun Fact
Her name means "milk-white" — from gala, the root of "galaxy" (Milky Way) and "galactic."
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth: