Full Answer
Why does Athena punish Arachne?
Athena took offense and set up a contest between them. When Athena saw that Arachne had not only insulted the gods but done so with a work far more beautiful than Athena's own, she was enraged. She ripped Arachne's work to shreds and hit her on the head three times. Terrified and ashamed, Arachne hanged herself.
Why did Athena go to see Arachne?
Athena, the goddess of wisdom, watched the boastful Arachne from her throne high on Mount Olympus. One day she decided that she’d had enough of Arachne. Athena disguised herself as an old woman and went to visit Arachne. “I hear that Athena has given you great gift—the skill of weaving,” said the old woman.
Who won the weaving contest between Athena and Arachne?
Athena became furious and punished Arachne transforming her into a spider and condemning her to weave for eternity. Another version of the story tells that Zeus was the judge and it was Athena who won the weaving contest. This made Arachne so depressed that she could no longer weave. Goddess Athena felt sorry for the young girl from Lydia and ...
Is Athena a bad goddess?
Athena appears a lot is hero myths, mainly Perseus and Heracles. And since they are heroes, Athena is widely considered a good goddess. However, the reason that there is a lot of discourse surrounding her characterisation nowadays is because of Ovid's Metamorphoses, which was written around 0 B.C/A.D.
Why did Athena challenge Arachne?
In the myth, Athena challenges Arachne to a weaving contest in order to prove herself. The expert crafts goddess Athena is favorably impressed with Arachne's weaving of divine debaucheries:
What is the theme of Athena and Arachne?
The theme appears in the story of Cupid and Psyche, where Aphrodite is offended.
Who wrote about the metamorphosis Arachne suffers in his work on transformations?
The Roman poet Ovid writes about the metamorphosis Arachne suffers in his work on transformations ( Metamorphoses ):
What does Artemis do to the mortal mother?
In the mythological story of Niobe, Artemis punishes the mortal mother for boasting that she is a more fortunate mother than Artemis' mother, Leto: Artemis destroys all Niobe's children. The punishment Athena inflicts on her capable, but the merely mortal victim is more direct.
Who was Arachne in Greek mythology?
The offence to the gods. Arachne in Greek mythology, was a Lydian woman, thought by some to be a princess, who was highly gifted in the art of weaving. Born to Idmon, a famous dyer in Lydia, Arachne was no ordinary weaver and the very act of her weaving was sheer magic and a sight to behold.
Why was Arachne a spider?
This was an offense towards the gods, which was a very serious and even deadly sin for the ancient Greeks. That is why goddess Athena transformed her into a spider to wave for all her life long.
Why was Arachne so arrogant?
All this adulation was more than Arachne could handle and being an ordinary mortal who was quite vulnerable to human failings, she became quite arrogant about her superior skills. She was annoyed at being regarded as a pupil of Athena and began bragging about her skills, proclaiming herself to be far more superior to even Athena.
What was the stage set for in Arachne?
The stage was set for a battle in which a god and a mortal pitted their artistic skills to decide who the better artist was. The nymphs who had come to watch Arachne weave shrank back, horrified at Arachne's audacity, but Arachne was unshakable and stood her ground.
How many scenes are there in Arachne's work?
Arachne's work of art, according to the Latin narrative, featured twenty-one scenes of the various misdemeanors of the mighty gods, including Poseidon, Apollo, Dionysus and others.
Who created the tapestry of the gods?
What unfolded next was a feast for the eye. Athena created a tapestry replete with scenes from the history of the gods. She portrayed Zeus at the center of the Olympic pantheon as well as her own contest with Poseidon and her victory, which ultimately made the people of Athens name their city after her. At the corner of her tapestry, she artfully depicted humans who had dared to defy the gods and who had been punished without a trace of mercy.
Who transformed Arachne into a spider?
Still in anger, Athens transformed Arachne into a spider ("arachni" in Greek), proclaiming that Arachne and all her descendants would henceforth hang forever from threads and be skillful weavers.
What is the name of the zoological class to which spiders belong?
But the goddess out of pity loosened the rope, which became a cobweb; Arachne herself was changed into a spider, whence the name of the zoological class to which spiders belong, Arachnida. Ovid’s Metamorphoses is the chief source of the story. Britannica Quiz. A Study of Greek and Roman Mythology.
Who is the goddess of war?
Athena. Athena, in Greek religion, the city protectress, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason, identified by the Romans with Minerva. She was essentially urban and civilized, the antithesis in many respects of Artemis, goddess of the outdoors.
Who was Arachne in Greek mythology?
Arachne was a skilled weaver who was so boastful about her abilities that she caught the attention of the Greek goddess Athena, who was known as Minerva in Roman mythology. A challenge ensued, showing what happens when you dare the gods and become overly prideful.
Why is Arachne turned into a spider?
Once again, Arachne is transformed into a spider so she can still weave and spin without breaking her promise to never touch a loom or spindle again. However the myth goes, several key parts remain intact.
How many stories did Arachne weave?
She wove four stories of humans who thought themselves equal to the gods, who were later punished by the gods for their boasting. Not getting the hint, Arachne wove four scenes in which the gods punished and hurt humans without a good reason.
Why did Athena challenge Athena?
She was so proud of her skills that she challenged the goddess Athena to a contest to see who was best. Athena was the goddess of many talents–warfare, weaving, wisdom, crafts, and learning–and she did not take kindly to the challenge. She accepted, hoping to put Arachne in her place and teach her respect. In some versions, Arachne’s constant ...
Why did Athena curse Lydian weaver?
To add insult to injury, Arachne’s work was better. Humiliated and angry at the unflattering depiction, Athena curses the young Lydian weaver. Some retellings say that Athena threw Hecate’s poison onto Arachne. Others say she used her godly powers.
Why do spiders spin webs?
This is how the Greeks explained why spiders are constantly spinning webs both to live in and trap their prey. Some versions of this myth end differently. In one version, Athena shows Arachne how her lack of respect is hurtful. Ashamed by her actions, Arachne takes her own life.
What did Greek gods do?
In Ancient Greek mythology, gods and goddesses regularly interacted with mere mortals. In most cases, the greek gods did acts that were worthy of praise and worship. However, some interactions highlighted the vindictive nature of the deities. Those cautionary tales served as warnings to Ancient Greeks while continuing to teach valuable lessons today.
Who is Arachne in Greek mythology?
Arachne ( / əˈrækniː /; from Ancient Greek: ᾰ̓ρᾰ́χνη, romanized : arákhnē, lit. 'spider', cognate with Latin araneus) is the protagonist of a tale in Greek mythology known primarily from the version told by the Roman poet Ovid (43 BCE–17 CE), which is the earliest extant source for the story.
Who was Arachne in the myth?
According to the myth as recounted by Ovid, Arachne was a Lydian maiden who was the daughter of Idmon of Colophon, who was a famous dyer in purple. She was credited to have invented linen cloth and nets while her son Closter introduced the use of spindle in the manufacture of wool.
How many times did Arachne hit Athena?
She ripped Arachne's work to shreds and hit her on the head three times. Terrified and ashamed, Arachne hanged herself.
How long did Arachne stay in hiding?
She was responsible for crafting the first demon weapons, an act that Death fiercely opposed, forcing her to bide her time and remain in hiding for 800 years. She returns to lead the risen Arachnaphobia, her personal army against Death. The story of Arachne has also been adapted for many plays.
What happened to Arachne after she was hung?
After Arachne hanged herself out of shame, she was transformed into a spider. The myth both provides an aetiology of spiders' web-spinning abilities and is a cautionary tale warning mortals not to place themselves on an equal level with the gods.
Why is Arachne defeated?
She is defeated by Annabeth because of her pride and eventually they are both sent falling into Tartarus, where Percy Jackson kills Arachne. In the novel The Last Unicorn written by Peter S. Beagle, a plain brown spider is bewitched into believing she is Arachne until the witch who enchanted her is killed.
What is the name of the fable of Arachne?
The Spinners, or, The Fable of Arachne (1644–48) by Velázquez. The taxonomical class name Arachnida and the name for spiders in many romance languages are both derived from arachne . The metamorphosis of Arachne in Ovid's telling furnished material for an episode in Edmund Spenser 's mock-heroic Muiopotmos, 257–352.
