Arachne | Daughter of Idmon

Arachne, in Greek mythology, was a young Lydian girl of extraordinary skill in the art of embroidery. Her works were perfect and admired, attracting the attention of all: the nymphs left the streams and vineyards; the peasants, the toil. Because of everyone's admiration, Arachne began to compare herself to the goddess Athena in the quality of her work.

When the news reached Olympus, Athena was furious with the mortal's petulance. She felt challenged and decided to hold a competition against Arachne to see who really deserved to be considered the best in the art of embroidery.

When they went to check the works, Athena saw that Arachne had embroidered the love affairs of Zeus, her father. Arachne was disappointed by what happened, she decided to hang herself, but Athena arrived in time and saved her. She then transformed the rope on which Arachne was hanging into a web, turning her into a spider, because then Arachne's perfect weaving would live forever.

Another version says that, the people were in doubt, about the weavings. Athena, in anger, transformed Arachne into a spider. And yet there is another, which says that Arachne made a play to a king, who dazzled, said that only Athena would do better. Arachne then decided to challenge her to see who was the best.

Athena accepted and so it was. During the challenge Athena saw that she had no chance of winning, so she said that if Aracne gave up she would make her the greatest spinner and weaver of all time, Aracne accepted. However, instead of Athena turning her into what she had said, she turned her into a spider, thus becoming the weaver (weaver) of the gods.