Hermaphroditos

Hermaphroditos Europe
Son of Hermes, the divine messenger, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love. According to a Greek legend, this lovely boy of fifteen visited Asia Minor, and excited the passion of Salmakis, the nymph of a fountain near Halicarnassus. When Hermaphroditos spurned all her advances, Salmakis prayed to the gods that she might be united with him for ever. The wish was granted and her opportunity came as he bathed in the enchanted waters of the fountain. Salmakis boldly embraced Hermaphroditos; the nymph and the wonderful boy merged physically, and since then hermaphrodite has meant female boy—yet not like Phrygian Attis, who cut away his manhood.