Galatea (mythology) Galatea (mythology) Galatea (; ; "she who is milk-white") is a name popularly applied to the statue carved of ivory by Pygmalion of Cyprus, which then came to life in Greek mythology. In modern English the name usually alludes to that story. Galatea is also the name of Polyphemus's object of desire in Theocritus's "Idylls VI" and "XI" and is linked with Polyphemus again in the myth of Acis and Galatea in Ovid's "Metamorphoses". Though the name "Galatea" has become so firmly associated with Pygmalion's statue as to seem antique, its use in connection with Pygmalion originated with a post-classical
Battus of Malta Battus of Malta In Greco-Roman mythology, Battus () was a semi-legendary king of Malta who offered sanctuary to Anna Perenna, the sister of Dido, the Carthaginian founder in Virgil's Aeneid. Battus features briefly in Ovid's Fasti as the protector of Anna Perenna. After Dido's tragic death, Anna finds refuge from her brother Pygmalion on Malta, with Battus the king of the island and a wealthy host. The "fertile island" of Melite, near Cossyra, provided hospitality to Anna, with Battus saying that ‘"This land, however small, is yours."’ Battus would have continued to provide sanctuary to Anna and her companions, but