Arachne - myths of ancient Greece. The meaning of the word arachne in the reference book of characters and cult objects of Greek mythology The myth of arachne teaches something
Arachne / Ancient Greek myth for children, read online
Throughout Lydia * Arachne was famous 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 it.
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 many evils, 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 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:
* 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.
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.
* State in Asia Minor, defeated by the Persians in the 6th century. BC e.
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 it.
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 many evils, 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.
ARACHNE
In Greek mythology, she is the daughter of Idmon, a textile dyer from Colophon. She was famous as an embroiderer and weaver, whose art was admired by the nymphs of the Pactola River. Proud of her skill, Arachne challenged the goddess Athena herself to a competition, who accepted the challenge, but, appearing first in the form of an old woman, warned Arachne about the necessary humility before the gods. Arachne did not heed this advice and was not afraid of the goddess, who appeared in her full majesty. Athena wove images of the twelve Olympian deities on purple, and at the four corners of the fabric, outlined with an olive branch pattern, she presented, as if for the edification of Arachne, the punishments suffered by mortals who tried to compete with the gods. In turn, Arachne wove the love affairs of Zeus, Poseidon, and Dionysus. The angry goddess tore the beautiful fabric and hit Arachne with the shuttle. She hanged herself in grief. However, Athena took her out of the noose and, using Hecate's potion, turned her into a spider that forever hangs on the web and tirelessly weaves yarn. The myth contains clearly anti-God features of the mythology of the period of developed heroism. The oldest mythological motif of werewolf, presented in Ovid's later presentation in the form of the genre of metamorphosis, was also reflected in the myth (Ovid. Met. VI 5-145).
Cases of turning to myth in European (as well as in ancient) art are rare (paintings by J. Tintoretto, P. Veronese, P. P. Rubens and D. Velazquez, as well as a number of frescoes of the 16th - 17th centuries - B. Franco, L. Cambiaso, T. Zuccaro, etc.).
Characters and cult objects of Greek mythology. 2012
See also interpretations, synonyms, meanings of the word and what ARACHE is in Russian in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books:
- ARACHNE
- (Greek arachne - spider), Lydian girl, daughter of the dyer Idmon from Colophon. A skilled spinner, weaver and embroiderer. Challenged to a competition... - ARACHNE in the Concise Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities:
(Arachne, "??????") A Lydian girl who achieved such skill in weaving that she challenged Athena to a competition. Defeated by the goddess, she wanted to hang herself, but... - ARACHNE
ARA'HNA (“spider”) in the myths of the ancient Greeks, a skilled embroiderer and weaver. Proud of her skill, she confidently challenged the goddess Athena herself to a competition. Athena... - ARACHNE in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
letters "spider"), in Greek mythology, the daughter of Idmon, a textile dyer from Colophon. She was famous as an embroiderer and weaver, whose art was admired... - ARACHNE in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary:
(Greek arachne - spider) in Greek mythology, a Lydian girl, a skilled needlewoman, who dared to challenge Athena to a weaving competition and was transformed... - ARACHNE in the Modern Encyclopedic Dictionary:
- ARACHNE in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
(Greek arachne - spider), in Greek mythology, a Lydian girl, a skilled needlewoman, who dared to challenge Athena to a weaving competition and was transformed... - ARACHNE in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
ARACHNE (Greek arachne - spider), in Greek. mythology, a Lydian girl, a skilled needlewoman, who dared to challenge Athena to a weaving competition and... - ARACHNE in the Modern Explanatory Dictionary, TSB:
(Greek arachne - spider), in Greek mythology, a Lydian girl, a skilled needlewoman, who dared to challenge Athena to a weaving competition and was transformed... - ATHENA in the Dictionary-Reference Book of Myths of Ancient Greece:
(Pallas Athena) - goddess of just war and victory, as well as wisdom, knowledge, arts and crafts; warrior, patroness of cities and states, ... - ATHENA in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
Athena Poliaea is the patroness of peasants and crafts. Masons and carpenters owe her a cornerstone. Patron of ceramics and casting. Makes sure that the paint...
Great was the anger of the gods against people who dared to question their piety and imagine that they could do without help or be able to surpass them in skill. They told about the daughter of Idmon, a textile dyer from Colophon, Arachne (a r a c n h, Greek “spider”), who was famous as an embroiderer and weaver, whose art was admired by the rivers of Pactola. Proud of her skill, Arachne assured that she could embroider no worse than herself, and even dared to challenge the goddess to a competition. Athena heard this and accepted the challenge, deciding to teach the braggart a lesson.
Athena descended to earth in the form of a mortal woman and, appearing to Arachne as an inconspicuous old woman, warned the girl about the need for humility before the gods. But her pride was so great that she did not heed this advice and was not afraid of the great goddess.
Athena wove images of the twelve Olympian deities on purple, and at the four corners of the fabric, outlined with an olive branch pattern, she presented, as if for the edification of Arachne, the punishments suffered by mortals who tried to compete with the gods. In turn, the girl wove love affairs and depicted the birth of Athena from the head of Zeus. The Thunderer was shown striking himself on the forehead, and Athena stood nearby in the attire of a craftswoman. The embroidery was beautiful, but the stranger flew into a rage when she saw it. She held her hand over Arachne’s work, and on the canvas she appeared with a hammer, and on Athena, the weaver’s robe was replaced by sparkling armor. The figures were completely alive, it seemed that they were about to speak.
After this, the angry goddess tore the fabric and hit Arachne with the shuttle. Then Arachne understood the reason for the stranger’s anger. This was indeed Athena, who knew everything about her birth and could bring images to life. Burning shame gripped Arachne at the memory of how she had insulted the goddess; out of shame, the princess committed suicide.
This was too much. Athena descended to earth to reason with the braggart, and not to kill her. After thinking, Athena took her out of the loop and returned Arachne to life, but turned her into a spider with the help of a potion.
Since then, Arachne always hangs in corners and between trees, weaving a thin silver net and catching annoying flies in it. Athena spared Arachne, and reasonable people do not offend spiders that destroy harmful insects and never enter into competition with the great gods of Olympus, fearing to repeat the fate of the unfortunate one.
This myth clearly contains the atheistic features of the mythology of the period of developed heroism. The oldest mythological motif of werewolf, presented in the later presentation of Ovid in the form of the genre of metamorphosis, is also reflected in the myth.
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 her living, she wove cloth and embroidered beautiful patterns on it. 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 good thing about advancing years: 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.
