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Arachne Summary

Arachne was a talented weaver who boasted that her skills surpassed even those of the goddess Athena. Athena challenged Arachne to a weaving contest to settle the matter. Though Arachne's tapestry was beautifully crafted, it offended the gods by depicting their past embarrassments. As a result, Athena transformed Arachne into the first spider as punishment for her hubris in challenging a goddess.

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654 views1 page

Arachne Summary

Arachne was a talented weaver who boasted that her skills surpassed even those of the goddess Athena. Athena challenged Arachne to a weaving contest to settle the matter. Though Arachne's tapestry was beautifully crafted, it offended the gods by depicting their past embarrassments. As a result, Athena transformed Arachne into the first spider as punishment for her hubris in challenging a goddess.

Uploaded by

Emjhay Palce
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ARACHNE

Summary

 Arachne, has become famous throughout Greece for her talent. Though she was neither well-born nor beautiful and came
from no great city. She lived in an obscure little village, and her father was a humble dyer of wool. In this he was very
skillful, producing many varied shades, while above all he was famous for the clear, bright scarlet which is made from
shellfish, and which was the most glorious of all the colors used in ancient Greece. Soon her products were known all over
Greece. No one had ever seen the like of them before.
 She boasted about being a better weaver than even the goddess Athena herself, who was the goddess of skill. One day
when Arachne turned round with such words, an old woman answered her, a gray old woman, bent and very poor, who
stood leaning on a staff and peering at Arachne amid the crowd of onlookers. “Reckless girl,” she said, “how dare you
claim to be equal to the immortal gods themselves? I am an old woman and have seen much. Take my advice and ask
pardon of Athena for your words. Rest content with your fame of being the best spinner and weaver that mortal eyes have
ever beheld.”
 After hearing Arachne's statement, the wondering onlookers saw the old woman grow tall and fair and stand clad in long
robes of dazzling white. They were terribly afraid as they realized that they stood in the presence of Athena. She
confronted her and a contest was planned to see who the better weaver was. The loser of the contest could never weave
on their loom again.
 After both of them were finished with their tapestries, it was time to choose a winner. Athena's tapestry was beautiful; it
showed her winning a competition between herself and Poseidon. Arachne's tapestry was breath taking, it was so
beautiful that it seemed like the images on the fabric were alive. Even Athena herself stood in awe after seeing it.
 Unfortunately, the work of Arachne was one that showed the Gods' past embarrassments. Athena and the viewers did not
take the offense lightly. They rejected her work and made her the loser.
 The goddess touched the rope and touched the maiden. “Live on, wicked girl,” she said. “Live on a spin, both of you and
your descendants. When men look at you, they may remember that it is not wise to strive with Athena.”
 At that the body of Arachne shriveled up, and her legs grew tiny, spindly, and distorted. There, before the eyes of the
spectators hung a little dusty brown spider on a slender thread.
 All spiders descend from Arachne, and as the Greeks watched them spinning their thread wonderfully fine, they
remembered the contest with Athena and thought that it was not right for even the best of men to claim equality with the
gods.

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