Galatea (gălətēˈə) [key], in Greek mythology. 1 Sea nymph,
daughter of Nereus and Doris. She was loved by the brutish
Polyphemus, a Cyclops who wooed her with love songs; but Galatea
loved Acis, the handsome son of a river nymph. When Polyphemus
discovered them together, he crushed the youth under a huge
boulder. In response to his pitiful cries, Galatea turned Acis
into a river. 2 See Pygmalion The Columbia Electronic
Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University
Press. All rights reserved. See more Encyclopedia articles on:
Folklore and Mythology