The story from MetamorphosesThe fusion of the nymph Salmacis and Hermaphroditus is one of the 250 tales told by Ovid in Metamorphoses, his magnum opus. Salmacis, who dwelt in a clear spring, instantly fell in love with the handsome youth Hermaphroditus. Despite his rejection of her persistent advances, she would not give up. She pleaded with the gods to unite them forever, and they granted her wish: as Hermaphroditus bathed in the spring, Salmacis entwined herself around him, and their two bodies merged into one, making Hermaphroditus both man and woman. The story reveals the darker side of lust, desire and power.