Arachne was a Lydian, and the daughter of Idmon from Colophon. She appears at the beginning of the sixth book of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Ovid writes that she was “lowborn,” coming from a humble village (Ovid 177). Even though she was from such a small town, she possessed extraordinary skill for weaving and thread work. Her skill was so amazing that nymphs would travel from all over the land to view her enchanting work.
Arachne Challenges Minerva
Arachne’s work was so good, that often she was accredited with being a student of Minerva (or Athena in Greek versions of the myth), the virgin goddess of war. Ovid writes, “the girl denied this; and instead / of taking pride in following so fine / a mentor, she’d reply, as if offended: / “Let her contend with me; and if I lose, / whatever she demands of me, I’ll do” (178). Upon hearing this challenge, Minerva appeared to Arachne in the form of an old woman, warning her not to boast to be better skilled than the goddess. Arachne scoffed at the old woman, telling her she needed no advice.
When the old woman revealed herself to be Minerva, Ovid writes, “Only she, / Arachne, showed no fear; she stood unawed. (179). And still Arachne demands the contest to prove herself better skilled than Minerva. So the two woman both began weaving a tapestry to prove who was the better weaver.
The Contest
Minerva’s tapestry depicted herself and Neptune, the sea-god identified as the Greek god Poseidon, competing for control. In addition to this scene, Minerva also spun four scenes within the tapestry of mortals who challenged the gods and who were punished for their arrogance. The border of Minerva’s tapestry was a wreath of olive branches, symbolizing peace.
Arachne’s tapestry was also a depiction of the gods, but hers was one that demonstrated the deceptive nature of the gods, and the way in which they used disguises to trick many into love affairs. When finished, not even Minerva could find flaw with the craftsmanship of the weaving, but in her jealousy destroyed Arachne’s work. Minerva then took the shuttle and “three and four times she struck Arachne’s forehead” (182).
Arachne’s Metamorphosis
Having been chastised by Minerva, Arachne tried to take her own life by hanging herself. When Minerva saw Arachne hanging from a tree, however, she took pity on the girl and allowed her to live. Minerva transformed Arachne into a spider, to punish her and her descendents for her audacity.
Ovid says that after sprinkling venomous herbs on Arachne, “her hair and then her eyes and ears fell off, / and all her body sank. And at her sides, / her slender fingers clung to her as legs. / The rest is belly; but from this, Arachne / spins out a thread; again she practices her weaver’s art, as once she fashioned webs” (183). This is how spiders came to be called arachnids.
Sources
- March, Jenny. Cassell’s Dictionary of Classical Mythology. Cassell: London, 2001.
- Ovid, The Metamorphoses. Trans Allen Mandelbaum. Harcourt: New York, 1993.
Joshua Benson - As a librarian and student of literature, I delight in the facilitation of knowledge to the eager reader.
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