Athena , the goddess of wisdom, was the
daughter of Zeus . She was said to have leaped forth from his brain, mature,
and in complete armour. She presided over the useful and ornamental arts,
both those of men - such as agriculture and navigation - and those of women,
- spinning, weaving, and needlework. She was also a warlike divinity; but
it was defensive war only that she patronized, and she had no sympathy
with Ares' savage love of violence and bloodshed. Athens was her chosen
seat, her own city, awarded to her as the prize of a contest with Posiedon,
who also aspired to it, The tale ran that in the reign of Cecrops, the
first king of Athens, the two deities contended for the possession of the
city. The gods decreed that it should be awarded to that one who produced
the gift most useful to mortals. Neptune gave the horse; Athena produced
the olive. The gods gave judgment that the olive was the more useful of
the two, and awarded the city to the goddess; and it was named after her,
Athens, her name in Greek being Athene.
There was another contest, in which a mortal
dared to come in competition with Athena. That mortal was Arachne, a maiden
who had attained such skill in the arts of weaving and embroidery that
the nymphs themselves would leave their groves and fountains to come and
gaze upon her work. It was not only beautiful when it was done, but beautiful
also in the doing. To watch her, as she took the wool in its rude state
and formed it into rolls, or separated it with her fingers and carded it
till it looked as light and soft as a cloud, or twirled the spindle with
skilful touch, or wove the web, or, after it was woven, adorned it with
her needle, one would have said that Athena herself had taught her. But
this she denied, and could not bear to be thought a pupil even of a goddess.
"Let Athena try her skill with mine," said she; "if beaten I will pay the
penalty." Athena heard this and was displeased. She assumed the form of
an old woman and went and gave Arachne some friendly advice. "I have had
much experience," said she, "and I hope you will not despise my counsel.
Challenge your fellow-mortals as you will, but do not compete with a goddess.
On the contrary, I advise you to ask her forgiveness for what you have
said, and as she is merciful perhaps she will pardon you." Arachne stopped
her spinning and looked at the old dame with anger in her countenance.
"Keep your counsel," said she, "for your daughters or handmaids; for my
part I know what I say, and I stand to it. I am not afraid of the goddess;
let her try her skill, if she dare venture." "She comes," said Athena;
and dropping her disguise stood confessed. The nymphs bent low in homage,
and all the bystanders paid reverence. Arachne alone was unterrified. She
blushed, indeed; a sudden colour dyed her cheek, and then she grew pale.
But she stood to her resolve, and with a foolish conceit of her own skill
rushed on her fate. Athena forbore no longer nor interposed any further
advice. They proceed to the contest. Each takes her station and attaches
the web to the beam. Then the slender shuttle is passed in and out among
the threads. The reed with its fine teeth strikes the woof into its place
and compacts the web. Both work with speed; their skilful hands move rapidly,
and the excitement of the contest makes the labour light. Wool of Tyrian
dye is contrasted with that of other colours, shaded off into one another
so adroitly that the joining deceives the eye. Like the bow, whose long
arch tinges the heavens, formed by sunbeams reflected from the shower,*
in which, where the colours meet they seem as one, but a little distance
from the point of contact are wholly different.
* This description of the rainbow is literally translated from Ovid.
Athena wrought on her web the scene of her contest with Neptune. Twelve
of the heavenly powers are represented, Zeus, with august gravity, sitting
in the midst. Neptune, the ruler of the sea, holds his trident, and appears
to have just smitten the earth, from which a horse has leaped forth. Athena
depicted herself with helmed head, her Aegis covering her breast. Such
was the central circle; and in the four corners were represented incidents
illustrating the displeasure of the gods at such presumptuous mortals as
had dared to contend with them. These were meant as warnings to her rival
to give up the contest before it was too late.
Arachne filled her web with subjects designedly chosen to exhibit the
failings and errors of the gods. One scene represented Leda caressing the
swan, under which form Zeus had disguised himself; and another, Danae,
in the brazen tower in which her father had imprisoned her, but where the
god effected his entrance in the form of a golden shower. Still another
depicted Europa deceived by Zeus under the disguise of a bull. Encouraged
by the tameness of the animal Europa ventured to mount his back, whereupon
Zeus advanced into the sea and swam with her to Crete, You would have thought
it was a real bull, so naturally was it wrought, and so natural the water
in which it swam. She seemed to look with longing eyes back upon the shore
she was leaving, and to call to her companions for help. She appeared to
shudder with terror at the sight of the heaving waves, and to draw back
her feel, from the water.
Arachne filled her canvas with similar subjects, wonderfully well done,
but strongly marking her presumption and impiety. Athena could not forbear
to admire, yet felt indignant at the insult. She struck the web with her
shuttle and rent it in pieces; she then touched the forehead of Arachne
and made her feel her guilt and shame. She could not endure it and went
and hanged herself. Athena pitied her as she saw her suspended by a rope.
"Live," she said, "guilty woman! and that you may preserve the memory of
this lesson, continue to hang, both you and your descendants, to all future
times." She sprinkled her with the juices of aconite, and immediately her
hair came off, and her nose and ears likewise. Her form shrank up, and
her head grew smaller yet; her fingers cleaved to her side and served for
legs. All the rest of her is body, out of which she spins her thread, often
hanging suspended by it, in the same attitude as when Athena touched her
and transformed her into a spider.
