Literature of antiquity and the Middle Ages - Summary - 2019

Pygmalion
Folk

Aphrodite gives happiness to the one who faithfully serves her. So she gave her happiness and Pygmalion, a great Cypriot artist. Pigmalion hated women and lived alone, avoiding marriage. One day he made a shiny white ivory statue of a girl of extraordinary beauty. As alive, this statue stood in the artist's studio. She seemed to breathe, it seemed that now she was moving, going and talking. For hours, the artist admired his work and loved, at last, the statue created by him himself. He gave her precious necklaces, wrists and earrings, dressed her in luxurious clothes, and decorated her head with flower wreaths. How often the Pygmalion whispered:

"Oh, if you were alive , if you could answer my speeches, Oh, how would I be happy!

But there was no statue.

The days of the festival were celebrated in honor of Aphrodite. Pygmalion brought a white calf with gilded horns to the goddess of love; he stretched out to the goddess of his hand and prayed with a prayer:

"Oh, eternal gods, and you, Aloe Vera! If you can give everything to the prayer, then give me a wife that is as beautiful as the girl's statue that I made myself.

Pigmalion did not dare ask the gods to revive his statue, he was afraid to forgive such a request from the Olympians. The sacrificial flames sparkled brightly before the depiction of the goddess of love of Aphrodite; this goddess seemed to make it clear to Pygmalion that the gods heard his prayer.

The artist returned home. He walked up to the statue, and, oh, happiness, oh, joy: the statue came to life! Her heart is beating, life in her eyes shines. So the goddess Aphrodite gave the beautiful wife, Pygmalion.