Arachne was famous throughout Lydia for her art. Nymphs often gathered from the slopes of Tmol and from the banks of the gold-bearing Pactolus to admire her work. Arachne spun threads like fog into fabrics as transparent as air. She was proud that she had no equal in the world in the art of weaving. One day she exclaimed:
- Let Pallas Athena herself come to compete with me! She can't defeat me; I'm not afraid of this.
And then, under the guise of a gray-haired, hunched old woman leaning on a staff, the goddess Athena appeared before Arachne and said to her:
“Old age brings with it more than one evil, Arachne: years bring experience with them.” Take my advice: strive to surpass only mortals with your art. Don't challenge the goddess to a contest. Humbly ask her to forgive you for your arrogant words; the goddess forgives those who pray.
Arachne let go of the thin yarn; her eyes flashed with anger. Confident in her art, she boldly answered:
“You are unreasonable, old woman. Old age has deprived you of your reason.” Read such instructions to your daughters-in-law and daughters, but leave me alone. I can give myself advice too. What I said, so be it. Why isn’t Athena coming, why doesn’t she want to compete with me?
- I'm here, Arachne! - exclaimed the goddess, taking on her real image.
The nymphs and Lydian women bowed low before the beloved daughter of Zeus and praised her. Only Arachne was silent. Just as the sky lights up with scarlet light in the early morning when the rose-fingered Zarya-Eos flies into the sky on her sparkling wings, so Athena’s face blushed with the color of anger. Arachne stands by her decision; she still passionately wants to compete with Athena. She has no presentiment that she is in danger of imminent death.
The competition has begun. The great goddess Athena wove the majestic Athenian Acropolis in the middle of her blanket, and on it depicted her dispute with Poseidon for power over Attica. The twelve bright gods of Olympus, and among them her father, Zeus the Thunderer, sit as judges in this dispute. Poseidon, the shaker of the earth, raised his trident, struck the rock with it, and a salty spring gushed out from the barren rock. And Athena, wearing a helmet, with a shield and an aegis, shook her spear and plunged it deep into the ground. A sacred olive grew from the ground. The gods awarded victory to Athena, recognizing her gift to Attica as more valuable. In the corners the goddess depicted how the gods punish people for disobedience, and around it she wove a wreath of olive leaves. Arachne depicted on her veil many scenes from the life of the gods, in which the gods are weak, obsessed with human passions. All around Arachne wove a wreath of flowers entwined with ivy. The work of Arachne was the height of perfection; it was not inferior in beauty to the work of Athena, but in her images one could see disrespect for the gods, even contempt. Athena was terribly angry, she tore up Arachne's work and hit her with the shuttle. Unhappy Arachne could not bear the shame; she twisted the rope, made a noose and hanged herself. Athena freed Arachne from the loop and told her:
- Live, rebellious one. But you will hang forever and weave forever, and this punishment will last in your offspring.
Athena sprinkled Arachne with the juice of the magic herb, and immediately her body shrank, her thick hair fell from her head, and she turned into a spider. Since then, the spider-Arachne has been hanging in her web and forever weaving it, as she weaved during her life.
Arachne (myth of ancient Greece)
Arachne was born into a family of ordinary people. Her mother died when Arachne was still little, and after her, her father, the fabric dyer Idmon, died. Arachne was left alone, and to earn a living, she wove cloth and embroidered on it. beautiful patterns. Arachne became such a skilled craftswoman that her fame soon spread throughout Lydia. People from everywhere came to Arachne’s poor house to look at her amazing art; nymphs from the banks of the gold-bearing Pactolus gathered to admire her work. Arachne’s paintings were so good that everyone began to call her a student of the great Pallas Athena. But Arachne knew that in the whole world she had no equal in skill, and she had no intention of sharing glory with the great goddess.
And then one day the proud Arachne exclaimed:
“Even if Pallas Athena herself comes to compete with me, she still cannot defeat me.” I'll pledge anything as collateral!
Athena heard these proud words, under the guise of a gray-haired, hunched old woman, she appeared before Arachne and said to her:
- O Arachne, Arachne, never be proud of what the great gods have given you. And remember. There is one thing good property in old age: with age comes experience. Listen to my advice, Arachne, try only to surpass mortals with your art. And if you now ask the goddess for forgiveness for your impudent words, she will forgive you.
But Arachne did not listen to wise advice, she let go of the thin yarn from her hands and angrily exclaimed:
“I don’t want to listen to your instructions, foolish old woman.” Read them to others, but leave me alone. I myself know what to do and what to say. Why isn't Athena coming? Or is she afraid to compete with me?
“I’m here, Arachne,” the goddess could not stand it, taking on her real appearance. Everyone bowed before the powerful goddess, welcoming her. Only Arachne stood silently and did not even bow her head. The great goddess blushed with anger. Well! If this proud weaver does not want to humble herself before the great goddess, then let her pay for her pride.
And so the rivals stood on opposite sides of the machine, stretched the canvas, and the competition began. The majestic Athenian Acropolis was woven by the goddess on a wondrous linen. She depicted on it her long-standing dispute with Poseidon, when they could not decide which of them had more power in Attica. Zeus himself and twelve other gods resolved this dispute. Poseidon raised his sparkling trident, struck it against the rock, and a salty spring gushed out from the empty, lifeless stone. Opposite him stood Athena in a helmet with a shield and in an aegis - her permanent armor with the head of the Gorgon Medusa in the center of it, with snakes at the edges. She raised her spear, shook it, and plunged it deep into the ground. A sacred olive tree immediately grew from the ground. The gods awarded victory to Athena, recognizing her gift as stronger than the gift of Poseidon. Then a city grew on this site, which has since been named after Athena. This is what Athena wove on her canvas, and in the corners she depicted how the gods punish people who try to compete with them. A wreath of olive leaves stretched around this wonderful canvas.
Arachne also depicted scenes from the life of the gods on her blanket. She put all her art into this work, and her canvas was not inferior in beauty and skill to Athena’s work. But at the same time, their work was very different. If Athena showed the gods in all their greatness and power on her canvas, then the gods of Arachne were just as sinful and weak as mere mortals. And it was clear how Arachne treated them: disrespectfully, with ridicule, and even with contempt.
The face of the great goddess flared up with bright colors, she snatched a beautiful canvas from Arachne’s hands, tore it into pieces and hit Arachne with a shuttle. Unhappy Arachne could not bear the shame, she twisted a strong rope and decided to hang herself with it. But the merciless goddess did not leave the unfortunate weaver even then; she took her out of the loop and said:
- You will live and suffer. From now on you will hang forever and weave forever. The same retribution will fall on your offspring: on your children, on your grandchildren and on your great-grandchildren. And even their children and grandchildren will endure this punishment.
Angry Athena sprinkled the potion of the terrible goddess Hecate on poor Arachne, and immediately her head shrank, her thick hair fell off, her body became very tiny, and thin, curved legs covered with coarse fur grew on her sides. Arachne turned into a spider. Since then, the Arachne spider has been hanging forever on her web, still pulling the thread and weaving her endless fabric.
This is how Idmon’s daughter, Arachne, paid for her arrogance and boastfulness. She wanted to rise above the majestic Athena, but turned into a nasty spider.
Arachne was famous throughout Lydia for her art. Nymphs often gathered from the slopes of Tmol and from the banks of the gold-bearing Pactolus to admire her work. Arachne spun threads like fog into fabrics as transparent as air. She was proud that she had no equal in the world in the art of weaving. One day she exclaimed:
- Let Pallas Athena herself come to compete with me! She can't defeat me; I'm not afraid of this.
And then, under the guise of a gray-haired, hunched old woman leaning on a staff, the goddess Athena appeared before Arachne and said to her:
“Old age brings with it more than one evil, Arachne: years bring experience with them.” Take my advice: strive to surpass only mortals with your art. Don't challenge the goddess to a contest. Humbly ask her to forgive you for your arrogant words. The goddess forgives those who pray.
Arachne let go of the thin yarn; her eyes flashed with anger. Confident in her art, she boldly answered:
“You are unreasonable, old woman. Old age has deprived you of your reason.” Read such instructions to your daughters-in-law and daughters, but leave me alone. I can give myself advice too. What I said, so be it. Why isn’t Athena coming, why doesn’t she want to compete with me?
- I'm here, Arachne! - exclaimed the goddess, taking on her real image.
The nymphs and Lydian women bowed low before the beloved daughter of Zeus and praised her. Only Arachne was silent. Just as the sky lights up with scarlet light in the early morning when the rose-fingered Zarya-Eos flies into the sky on her sparkling wings, so Athena’s face blushed with the color of anger. Arachne stands by her decision; she still passionately wants to compete with Athena. She has no presentiment that she is in danger of imminent death.
The competition has begun. The great goddess Athena wove the majestic Athenian Acropolis in the middle of her blanket, and on it depicted her dispute with Poseidon for power over Attica. The twelve bright gods of Olympus, and among them her father, Zeus the Thunderer, sit as judges in this dispute. Poseidon, the shaker of the earth, raised his trident, struck the rock with it, and a salty spring gushed out from the barren rock. And Athena, wearing a helmet, with a shield and an aegis, shook her spear and plunged it deep into the ground. A sacred olive grew from the ground. The gods awarded victory to Athena, recognizing her gift to Attica as more valuable. In the corners the goddess depicted how the gods punish people for disobedience, and around it she wove a wreath of olive leaves. Arachne depicted on her veil many scenes from the life of the gods, in which the gods are weak, obsessed with human passions. All around Arachne wove a wreath of flowers entwined with ivy. The work of Arachne was the height of perfection; it was not inferior in beauty to the work of Athena, but in her images one could see disrespect for the gods, even contempt. Athena was terribly angry, she tore up Arachne's work and hit her with the shuttle. Unhappy Arachne could not bear the shame; she twisted the rope, made a noose and hanged herself. Athena freed Arachne from the loop and told her:
- Live, rebellious one. But you will hang forever and weave forever, and this punishment will last in your offspring.
Athena sprinkled Arachne with the juice of the magic herb, and immediately her body shrank, her thick hair fell from her head, and she turned into a spider. Since then, the spider-Arachne has been hanging in her web and forever weaving it, as she weaved during her life.
ARACHNE
Based on Ovid's poem "Metamorphoses".
Arachne was famous throughout Lydia for her art. Nymphs often gathered from the slopes of Tmol and from the banks of the gold-bearing Pactolus to admire her work. Arachne spun threads like fog into fabrics as transparent as air. She was proud that she had no equal in the world in the art of weaving. One day she exclaimed:
- Let Pallas Athena herself come to compete with me! She can't defeat me; I'm not afraid of this.
And so, under the guise of a gray-haired, hunched old woman leaning on a staff, the goddess Athena appeared before Arachne and said to her:
- Old age brings with it more than one evil, Arachne; years bring experience. Take my advice: strive to surpass only mortals with your art. Don't challenge the goddess to a contest. Humbly ask her to forgive you for your arrogant words. The goddess forgives those who pray.
Arachne let go of the thin yarn; her eyes flashed with anger. Confident in her art, she boldly answered:
- You are unreasonable, old woman. Old age has robbed you of your mind. Read such instructions to your daughters-in-law and daughters, but leave me alone. I can give myself advice too. What I said, so be it. Why isn’t Athena coming, why doesn’t she want to compete with me?
- I'm here, Arachne! - exclaimed the goddess, taking on her real image.
1 State in Asia Minor, defeated by the Persians in the 6th century. BC e.
46
The nymphs and Lydian women bowed low before the beloved daughter of Zeus and praised her. Only Arachne was silent. Just as the sky lights up with scarlet light in the early morning when the rose-fingered Zarya-Eos flies into the sky on her sparkling wings, so Athena’s face blushed with the color of anger. Arachne stands by her decision; she still passionately wants to compete with Athena. She has no presentiment that she is in danger of imminent death.
The competition has begun. The great goddess Athena wove the majestic Athenian Acropolis in the middle of her blanket, and on it depicted her dispute with Poseidon for power over Attica. The twelve bright gods of Olympus, and among them her father, Zeus the Thunderer, sit as judges in this dispute. Poseidon, the shaker of the earth, raised his trident, struck the rock with it, and a salty spring gushed out from the barren rock. And Athena, wearing a helmet, with a shield and an aegis, shook her spear and plunged it deep into the ground. A sacred olive grew from the ground. The gods awarded victory to Athena, recognizing her gift to Attica as more valuable1. In the corners the goddess depicted how the gods punish people for disobedience, and around it she wove a wreath of olive leaves. Arachne depicted on her veil many scenes from the life of the gods, in which the gods are weak, obsessed with human passions. All around Arachne wove a wreath of flowers entwined with ivy. The work of Arachne was the height of perfection; it was not inferior in beauty to the work of Athena, but in her images one could see disrespect for the gods, even contempt. Athena was terribly angry, she tore up Arachne's work and hit her with the shuttle. Unhappy Arachne could not bear the shame; she twisted the rope, made a noose and hanged herself. Athena freed Arachne from the loop and told her:
- Live, rebellious one. But you will hang forever and weave forever, and this punishment will last in your offspring.
Athena sprinkled Arachne with the juice of the magic herb, and immediately her body shrank, her thick hair fell from her head, and she turned into a spider. Since then, the spider-Arachne has been hanging in her web and forever weaving it, as she weaved during her life.
1 The scene of the dispute between Athena and Poseidon was depicted on the pediment of the Parthenon Temple in Athens by the famous Greek sculptor Phidias (5th century BC); The pediment has survived to this day in a heavily damaged state.
Prepared according to the edition:
Kun N.A.Legends and myths of ancient Greece. M.: State educational and pedagogical publishing house of the Ministry of Education of the RSFSR, 1954.
Arachne was famous throughout Lydia for her art. Nymphs often gathered from the slopes of Tmol and from the banks of the gold-bearing Pactolus to admire her work. Arachne spun threads like fog into fabrics as transparent as air. She was proud that she had no equal in the world in the art of weaving. One day she exclaimed:
- Let Pallas Athena herself come to compete with me! She can't defeat me; I'm not afraid of this. And then, under the guise of a gray-haired, hunched old woman leaning on a staff, the goddess Athena appeared before Arachne and said to her:
- Old age brings with it more than one evil, Arachne: years bring experience. Take my advice: strive to surpass only mortals with your art. Don't challenge the goddess to a contest. Humbly pray to her to forgive you for your arrogant words. The goddess forgives those who pray. Arachne let go of the thin yarn; Her eyes flashed with anger. Confident in her art, she boldly answered:
- You are unreasonable, old woman, old age has deprived you of your reason. Read such instructions to your daughters-in-law and daughters, but leave me alone. I can give myself advice too. What I said, so be it. Why isn’t Athena coming, why doesn’t she want to compete with me?
- I'm here, Arachne! - exclaimed the goddess, taking on her real image.
The nymphs and Lydian women bowed low before the beloved daughter of Zeus and praised her. Only Arachne was silent. Just as the sky lights up with scarlet light in the early morning when the rose-fingered Zarya-Eos flies into the sky on her sparkling wings, so Athena’s face blushed with the color of anger. Arachne stands by her decision; she still passionately wants to compete with Athena. She has no presentiment that she is in danger of imminent death. The competition has begun. The great goddess Athena wove the majestic Athenian Acropolis in the middle of her blanket, and on it depicted her dispute with Poseidon for power over Attica. The twelve bright gods of Olympus, and among them her father, Zeus the Thunderer, sit as judges in this dispute. Poseidon, the shaker of the earth, raised his trident, struck the rock with it, and a salty spring gushed out from the barren rock. And Athena, wearing a helmet, with a shield and an aegis, shook her spear and plunged it deep into the ground. A sacred olive grew from the ground. The gods awarded victory to Athena, recognizing her gift to Attica as more valuable. In the corners the goddess depicted how the gods punish people for disobedience, and around it she wove a wreath of olive leaves. Arachne depicted on her veil many scenes from the life of the gods, in which the gods are weak, obsessed with human passions. All around Arachne wove a wreath of flowers entwined with ivy. The work of Arachne was the height of perfection; it was not inferior in beauty to the work of Athena, but in her images one could see disrespect for the gods, even contempt. Athena was terribly angry, she tore up Arachne's work and hit her with the shuttle. Unhappy Arachne could not bear the shame; she twisted the rope, made a noose and hanged herself. Athena freed Arachne from the loop and told her:
- Live, rebellious one. But you will hang forever and weave forever, and this punishment will last in your offspring.
Athena sprinkled Arachne with the juice of the magic herb, and immediately her body shrank, her thick hair fell from her head, and she turned into a spider. Since then, the spider-Arachne has been hanging in her web and forever weaving it, as she weaved during her life.
