Ovid describes the story of Galatea, a beautiful Sicilian Nereid, who was loved by the cyclopes Polyphemus. Polyphemus would sit on a promentory overlooking the sea, playing love songs to Galatea on his syrinx but his love was not reciprocated. In his place Galatea loved a handsome youth named Acis. When Polyphemus discovered Galatea and Acis frolicing together he became enraged and hurled a boulder towards the couple which in some versions of the story is said to have killed Acis.