According to Greek mythology, the Nereid Galatea fell in love with the peasant shepherd Acis. The cyclops Polyphemus–famous for his critical role in Homer’s Odyssey–is said to have stumbled upon the lovers together in secret. In a jealous fit of rage, Polyphemus murdered Acis by crushing the shepherd with a large pillar. Though the narrative forms a fundamental part of the Galatea myth, Raphael chose to depict the nymph’s apotheosis instead of a scene from the more popular Acis story.