What do you think?
Rate this book
The Myth of Arachne and Athena: Arachne the Spinner
The story of Arachne the spinner, the Greek myth of how Arachne became a spider, with beautiful illustrations.
15 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 29, 2013
1 person is currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Ovid
2,790 books1,882 followersPublius Ovidius Naso (20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horatius, with whom he is often ranked as one of the three canonical poets of Latin literature. The Imperial scholar Quintilian considered him the last of the Latin love elegists. Although Ovid enjoyed enormous popularity during his lifetime, the emperor Augustus exiled him to Tomis, the capital of the newly-organised province of Moesia, on the Black Sea, where he remained for the last nine or ten years of his life. Ovid himself attributed his banishment to a "poem and a mistake", but his reluctance to disclose specifics has resulted in much speculation among scholars.
Ovid is most famous for the Metamorphoses, a continuous mythological narrative in fifteen books written in dactylic hexameters. He is also known for works in elegiac couplets such as Ars Amatoria ("The Art of Love") and Fasti. His poetry was much imitated during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, and greatly influenced Western art and literature. The Metamorphoses remains one of the most important sources of classical mythology today.
Ovid is most famous for the Metamorphoses, a continuous mythological narrative in fifteen books written in dactylic hexameters. He is also known for works in elegiac couplets such as Ars Amatoria ("The Art of Love") and Fasti. His poetry was much imitated during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, and greatly influenced Western art and literature. The Metamorphoses remains one of the most important sources of classical mythology today.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 11, 2025
Listened to a podcast on this.
It offered really interesting insights on how the primary work of women in ancient Greece (when & where this story is set) and in ancient Rome (when & where this story was written) was weaving.
A craft that has been undermined and underappreciated by historians. Why? Mainly due to its association with women. But also because it is a decomposable art. Mighty swords and great buildings made by men are appreciated today, as they have not succumbed to natures fate. However, material weaved by women, has been decomposed and is underappreciated as a result.
A craft called 'busy work'. However, weaving is the foundations of all we own and all we are. Fabric is the building blocks for our lives: clothes, furniture, army uniforms, and sails just to name a few. But in history, and in this story the threat of women seeing weaving as valuble work is not just punished, but used against them to restrict them further.
It is a interesting tale on the patriarchal society in which we inhibit.
For me, it was a reminder of how historians neglect women's importance in history which merely perpetuates patriarchy and restricts women more.
A story of great talent and potential, only to be rendered useless.
"The rest is merely abdomen, from which she continues to spin
Her thread and practise her former art in the web of a spider."
https://open.spotify.com/episode/52UO...
It offered really interesting insights on how the primary work of women in ancient Greece (when & where this story is set) and in ancient Rome (when & where this story was written) was weaving.
A craft that has been undermined and underappreciated by historians. Why? Mainly due to its association with women. But also because it is a decomposable art. Mighty swords and great buildings made by men are appreciated today, as they have not succumbed to natures fate. However, material weaved by women, has been decomposed and is underappreciated as a result.
A craft called 'busy work'. However, weaving is the foundations of all we own and all we are. Fabric is the building blocks for our lives: clothes, furniture, army uniforms, and sails just to name a few. But in history, and in this story the threat of women seeing weaving as valuble work is not just punished, but used against them to restrict them further.
It is a interesting tale on the patriarchal society in which we inhibit.
For me, it was a reminder of how historians neglect women's importance in history which merely perpetuates patriarchy and restricts women more.
A story of great talent and potential, only to be rendered useless.
"The rest is merely abdomen, from which she continues to spin
Her thread and practise her former art in the web of a spider."
https://open.spotify.com/episode/52UO...
January 22, 2025
I love the mythological tale of Athena and Arachne. So naturally, when I found this little story, I was eager to read it.
While it’s not bad or anything, I was disappointed in how short it was. I
It also didn’t go into any detail whatsoever which I didn’t expect. I think I was looking for something a little longer, and having a little more detail.
It’s not like I’m not familiar with the story, but I love retellings and read them in mythology and history all the time.
But this one was almost over before it began. I also could be wrong, but I kind of think this differs a little from what I know about the story.
SPOILERS
As I remember the myth, Arachne does not draw the Gods drunk, she simply doesn’t weave anywhere near, as well as Athena does.
In the numerous stories of this myth that I’ve read, , to the best of my memory, Athena does not get over her anger either. Perhaps she does and I’m remembering wrong.
Of course, Athena does turn Arachne into a spider, allowing her weave forever more.
But I remember that both of them wove beautiful imagery. It’s just that Athena is clearly the best Weaver and outshines Arachne easily.
I think this is good if you just getting to know the story, but if you’re extremely familiar with it, you’re going to find it frustrating because it’s very brief and doesn’t go into detail on anything. Not my favorite read of January.
While it’s not bad or anything, I was disappointed in how short it was. I
It also didn’t go into any detail whatsoever which I didn’t expect. I think I was looking for something a little longer, and having a little more detail.
It’s not like I’m not familiar with the story, but I love retellings and read them in mythology and history all the time.
But this one was almost over before it began. I also could be wrong, but I kind of think this differs a little from what I know about the story.
SPOILERS
As I remember the myth, Arachne does not draw the Gods drunk, she simply doesn’t weave anywhere near, as well as Athena does.
In the numerous stories of this myth that I’ve read, , to the best of my memory, Athena does not get over her anger either. Perhaps she does and I’m remembering wrong.
Of course, Athena does turn Arachne into a spider, allowing her weave forever more.
But I remember that both of them wove beautiful imagery. It’s just that Athena is clearly the best Weaver and outshines Arachne easily.
I think this is good if you just getting to know the story, but if you’re extremely familiar with it, you’re going to find it frustrating because it’s very brief and doesn’t go into detail on anything. Not my favorite read of January.
Read
March 20, 2020Target Audience: 6-12
This classic myth tells the tale of Arachne, a very talented weaver who could spin thin thread into beautiful tapestries. However, Arachne was not humble. Instead, she would boast of her talents and claim that her gift was all because of her. Due to her bragging and her denial of the gods providing her with any of her talents, the Goddess Athena challenges her to a weave-off. However, upon seeing that Arachne indeed is the better weaver and spun images insulting the gods, Athena turns Arachne into an eight-legged creature doomed to spin for the rest of eternity. This classic myth stresses the importance of humility and grace. The illustrations by Frustaci use a simple color pallet that really emphasizes red as the main color that draws the attention. A good read.
This classic myth tells the tale of Arachne, a very talented weaver who could spin thin thread into beautiful tapestries. However, Arachne was not humble. Instead, she would boast of her talents and claim that her gift was all because of her. Due to her bragging and her denial of the gods providing her with any of her talents, the Goddess Athena challenges her to a weave-off. However, upon seeing that Arachne indeed is the better weaver and spun images insulting the gods, Athena turns Arachne into an eight-legged creature doomed to spin for the rest of eternity. This classic myth stresses the importance of humility and grace. The illustrations by Frustaci use a simple color pallet that really emphasizes red as the main color that draws the attention. A good read.
November 3, 2021
A review Greek Gods Class members loved
Just really liked this story! It has a good lesson about thinking you’re better than a god. The illustrations were nice too, they showed lots of style.
Just really liked this story! It has a good lesson about thinking you’re better than a god. The illustrations were nice too, they showed lots of style.
April 22, 2024
Read along with Stephen R. C. Hicks' excellent commentary that can be found on his Youtube channel "CEE Video Channel."
Read
October 23, 2015interesting! i realy love greek and roman mythology
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews