Salmacis

Salmacis is a figure from Greek mythology, primarily known from Ovid's Metamorphoses. She was a nymph associated with a spring in Caria, near the city of Halicarnassus. The myth recounts how Salmacis became infatuated with the beautiful youth Hermaphroditus, the son of Hermes and Aphrodite. Hermaphroditus, while bathing in her spring, resisted her advances. In an effort to keep him with her forever, Salmacis prayed to the gods, and her wish was granted. The gods merged her body with that of Hermaphroditus, creating a single being with both male and female characteristics. As a result, the spring itself was said to have a peculiar quality, where any man who bathed in it would emerge feminized. The story of Salmacis and Hermaphroditus has been interpreted in various ways throughout history, often as an explanation for bisexuality or hermaphroditism. The spring of Salmacis was a well-known landmark in antiquity.