Week 2 Story: Pygmalion and the Statue

Pygmalion was a young and handsome man that lived in the ancient city of Paphos and dedicated his life to sculpting. He was kind and liked by all, but was perpetually alone. He had chosen to steer clear of love after seeing the Propoetides, daughters of Propoetus, selling themselves to any man, disrespecting their divine bodies. Pygmalion had seen this and lost faith in ever finding a woman that would measure up to his high expectations, to what he thought he deserved. For his hubris, Venus decided to seal his fate and make fall in love with someone with whom he could never be. And so beautiful Venus planted an idea in his mind, that of a young woman so beautiful that would rival her own charms, one whose eyes would entrap anyone that would view them. 

That morning Pygmalion awoke with one thought and one thought only, to sculpt this beautiful woman he had dreamed of. He labored for hours, even days without rest until he was satisfied. He then looked at his creation, and without hesitation fell at her feet. He clothed her with the most beautiful garments he could find and placed her comfortably next to him in bed. Every day he would go out into the town and come back bearing gifts for his statue, sweetly greeting her from the door and kissing her lips, pretending that she kissed him back. 

Months passed and Pygmalion's love for his statue did not waver, and when it was time to celebrate the festival of Venus, goddess of love, he knew what needed to be done. He bought the finest flowers and the sweetest smelling incense, and he entered the temple. He approached the altar, and kneeling down he raised his offerings to the statue of the goddess. "Oh, beautiful goddess, I am here before you to humbly ask for one thing... I have found my match, the only one for me, but she is trapped in an ivory cell..." He stopped, taking a deep breath and gathering his strength. "I ask that you allow me to forever live with her, for us to be made of the same flesh, so that I may finally love her as I know I must." Pygmalion kissed the feet of the goddesses statue, and shakily made his way back home, hoping to find a rosy-cheeked bride where once stood an ivory statue. 

Pygmalion and Galatea by Rodin

He opened the door with trembling excitement, only to be disappointed. There, in the middle of his home, stood his statue still, made of strong white ivory, no sign of life. He felt his heart shatter, just as the rock would underneath his hand as he sculpted. Regardless, he made his way to his love, and with tears welling up in his eyes, raised a hand to cup her cheek. And as warm skin touched cold ivory, the blood began to slow within Pygmalion. He felt his joints harden, his skin growing cold, the colors slowly dying out and turning pale white. Venus had granted his wish, only not as he hoped. Pygmalion and his statue were now made of the same flesh, bound in the same position for eternity, their love forever carved out of stone.

Author's Note: in the original story Venus decides to turn the statue into a live woman and then she and Pygmalion are married. I was bothered about the fact that Pygmalion thought all women to be flawed, so I decided that he did not deserve love because of his hubris, so I made Venus turn him into stone instead. Because now Pygmalion and his wife do not get married and have a son, my story does not work as an origin of the name of Paphos.

Bibliography

Story source: "Pygmalion" from Ovid's Metamorphoses, translated by Tony Kline (2000).