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March 1, 2020

The tale of Pygmalion from book 10 of Ovid’s “Metamorphoses.”
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Revision as of 17:11, 6 January 2025 by Grlucas (talk | contribs) (Added more.)
Jean-Léon Gérôme, Pygmalion and Galatea, ca. 1890.
Pygmalion[1]
By: Ovid from book 10 of the Metamorphoses[2]

Pygmalion had seen the shameless lives
of Cyprus’ women; and disgusted by
the many sins to which the female mind
had been inclined by nature, he resigned
himself: for years he lived alone, without 5
a spouse: he chose no wife to share his couch.[3]

“Meanwhile, Pygmalion began to carve
in snow-white ivory,[4] with wondrous art,
a female figure more exquisite than
a woman who was born could ever match. 10
That done, he falls in love with his own work.
The image seems, in truth, to be a girl;
one could have thought she was alive and keen
to stir, to move her limbs, had she not been
too timid: with his art, he’s hidden art.[5] 15
He is enchanted and, within his heart,
the likeness of a body now ignites
a flame. He often lifts his hand to try
his work, to see if it indeed is flesh
or ivory; he still will not admit 20
it is but ivory. He kisses it:
it seems to him that, in return, he's kissed.[6]
He speaks to it, embraces it; at each
caress, the image seems to yield beneath
his fingers: and he is afraid he’ll leave 25
some sign, some bruise.[7] And now he murmurs words
of love, and now he offers gifts that girls
find pleasing: shells, smooth pebbles, little birds,
and many-colored flowers, painted balls,
and amber tears that the Heliades[8] 30
let drop from trees. He—after draping it
with robes—adorns its fingers with fine gems,
its neck with a long necklace; light beads hang
down from its ears, and ribbons grace its breast.[9]
All this is fair enough, but it’s not less 35
appealing in its nakedness.[10] He rests
the statue on the covers of his bed,
on fabric dyed with hues of Sidon’s shells;[11]
he calls that form the maid that shares his couch
and sets its head on cushions—downy, soft delicately, 40
as if it could respond.

“The day of Venus’ festival[12] had come—
the day when, from all Cyprus, people thronged;
and now-their curving horns are sheathed with gold—
the heifers fall beneath the fatal blows 45
that strike their snow-white necks; the incense smokes.
Pygmalion, having paid the honors owed
to Venus, stopped before the altar: there
the sculptor offered—timidly—this prayer:
‘0 gods, if you indeed can grant all things, 50
then let me have the wife I want’—and here
he did not dare to say ‘my ivory girl’
but said instead, ‘one like my ivory girl.’
And golden Venus (she indeed was there
at her own feast-day) understood his prayer: 55
three times the flame upon her altar flared
more brightly, darting high into the air—
an omen of the goddess’ kindly care.[13]
At once, Pygmalion, at home again,
seeks out the image of the girl; he bends 60
over his couch; he kisses her. And when
it seems her lips are warm, he leans again
to kiss her; and he reaches with his hands
to touch her breasts. The ivory had lost
its hardness; now his fingers probe; grown soft, 65
the statue yields beneath the sculptor’s touch,
just as Hymettian wax[14] beneath the sun
grows soft and, molded by the thumb, takes on
so many varied shapes—in fact, becomes
more pliant as one plies it. Stupefied, 70
delighted yet in doubt, afraid that he
may be deceived, the lover tests his dream:
it is a body! Now the veins—beneath
his anxious fingers—pulse. Pygmalion
pours out rich thanks to Venus; finally, 75
his lips press lips that are not forgeries.
The young girl[15] feels these kisses; blushing, she
lifts up her timid eyes; she seeks the light;
and even as she sees the sky, she sees
her lover. Venus graces with her presence 80
the wedding she has brought about. And when
the moon shows not as crescent but as orb
for the ninth time, Pygmalion’s wife gives birth
to Paphos—and in honor of that child,
Cyprus has since been called the Paphian isle.” 85


notes & commentary

  1. ↑ The story of Pygmalion is narrated by Orpheus who is bitter from having lost Euridice to Hades. In his prologue, he states the subject of his narrative: “I sing of boys the gods have loved, and girls / incited by unlawful lust and passions, / who paid the penalty for their transgressions.”
         The story of Pygmalion, found in Book 10 of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, is an exploration of artistry, desire, transformation, and the nature of human connection. It follows Pygmalion, a sculptor who creates an ivory statue so perfect that he falls deeply in love with his creation. Dissatisfied with the flaws he perceives in real women, Pygmalion retreats into his art, crafting an idealized form that embodies his unattainable vision of beauty and virtue. His devotion is rewarded by the goddess Venus, who animates the statue, transforming it into a living woman with whom Pygmalion can share his life.
         This tale is steeped in themes that resonate across cultures and time. It reflects on the interplay between creation and creator, the boundaries between reality and imagination, and the transformative power of love. Pygmalion’s story also carries undercurrents of critique regarding gender roles and the idealization of women, as the statue initially embodies an unrealistically perfect ideal molded by male fantasy. Ovid’s treatment of this myth reveals his characteristic wit and his ability to explore universal human desires, offering readers a complex meditation on art, devotion, and the pursuit of perfection.
  2. ↑ Ovid (1993) [8]. The Metamorphoses of Ovid. Translated by Mandelbaum, Allen. New York: A Harvest Book. pp. 335–37.
  3. ↑ I doubt he had much say, really. He seems like a pig, really, suggesting that all women are whores “by nature.” Likely, none of them gave him the time of day, so he developed his misogyny as perhaps literature’s first incel.
  4. ↑ The “snow-white ivory” emphasizes purity and perfection, contrasting with the flawed real women he rejects.
  5. ↑ This line suggests that his craftsmanship is so perfect it conceals the fact that it’s artifice, blurring reality and creation.
  6. ↑ Pygmalion projects his desires onto the statue, convincing himself of its responsiveness.
  7. ↑ His fear of bruising the ivory reflects his deep immersion in the illusion of its sentience.
  8. ↑ Alludes to the myth of the Heliades, who were transformed into poplar trees, their tears becoming amber—a symbol of mourning and transformation.
  9. ↑ The gifts symbolize traditional courtship rituals, emphasizing his genuine affection.
  10. ↑ Despite adorning the statue, its naked form remains equally captivating, highlighting the tension between artifice and nature.
  11. ↑ Purple or red, an expensive Phoenician dye from shellfish indicating wealth and the lengths Pygmalion goes to in honoring his creation.
  12. ↑ The detailed description of the festival underscores the cultural importance of Venus, the goddess of love.
  13. ↑ Venus’s acknowledgment of Pygmalion’s prayer signifies the gods’ active participation in human desires and the theme of transformation.
  14. ↑ Hymettian wax refers to beeswax produced in the region of Mount Hymettus in ancient Greece, near Athens. Mount Hymettus was renowned in antiquity for its high-quality honey and wax, which were prized for their purity, pliability, and golden sheen. The reference symbolizes something malleable and soft, easily shaped under warmth, which serves as a fitting metaphor for the transformation. The simile likening the softening of the statue’s ivory to Hymettian wax highlights the tactile and sensory nature of the transformation, emphasizing the artistry and almost magical quality of the moment. For Ovid’s Roman audience, the mention of Hymettian wax would have evoked associations of refinement and luxury, aligning with the exquisite craftsmanship Pygmalion invested in his creation.
  15. ↑ Galatea, unnamed here by Ovid.
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