Ovid’s ‘Metamorphosis’ is a book of narrative poetry published in 8AD containing 250 stories, one of which is of Pygmalion and Galatea. Pygmalion was a Cypriot sculptor whose sculpture of Galatea was so beautiful and life-like that he fell in love with it. He made offerings to Aphrodite at her altar when wishing for a bride like his sculpture, then came home and kissed his sculpture only to find that the lips were warm. Venus brought the marble to life and he married it soon after. The couple had a child named Paphos, who the town of Paphos is named after.⠀
