Pygmalion was a young man dwelling on the island of Cyprus a sculptor by trade and blessed by the gods with remarkable skill. Under his hands a simple block of marble could become a horse so lifelike you’d swear you could hear the clatter of its hooves. He could shape ivory into the semblance of a woman so flawless in her beauty men would fall at her lifeless feet and pledge their undying love If she would just step down from her pedestal. He could even shape a humble stick of wood into a carving of a snake so frightening even a hardened soldier would run from it. Word of Pygmalion’s prodigious talent soon spread and he was flooded with commissions from across the civilised world. It was said that no temple or palace was complete without one of Pygmalion’s works. As demand grew for his work he found that he had become an extraordinarily wealthy man. Success did not go to his head and he remained humble and pious. So he lived in great comfort with the respect of his neighbours...
