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How the Spider Came Into the World
There was a famous dyer of fabrics called Idmon. He lived at Colophon in Lydia.
He had a daughter named Arachna.
She was even more famous than her father for she was considered to be the finest weaver of fabrics and tapestries in the known world.
She was even more famous than her father for she was considered to be the finest weaver of fabrics and tapestries in the known world.
Once, when she was nearing completion of one of the most exquisite tapestries she had ever created, for the temple of Zeus, she said proudly, "Is this not the most beautiful tapestry in the land of Greece? Could any goddess on Mount Olympus make a finer thing than this?"
She showed it to one of the stars. "Is this not perfection itself? I, a mere mortal, have produced something fit for the great god Zeus himself."
What Arachne did not know was that Zeus' daughter Athena was sitting on an the branch of an olive tree close to her house, in the guise of a little owl.
Athena was furious when she heard the uttering of Arachne.
'How dare she make such a claim, especially in front of me! I, who am the patron goddess of female arts and industries!'
That night Arachne went to bed pleased that she had completed the intricate tapestry that would be presented to the temple priests the following day at the ceremony for the god of gods, Zeus. The angry Athena flew through the open window of the workshop, landed on the tapestry and tore it to shreds.
Next morning Arachna awoke to the sound of loud knocking on her bedroom door.
"Arachne, Arachne!" her father called as he banged on the door. Arachne hastily dressed then opened the door.
"Come quick, my child," said her father. "A terrible thing has happened."
She hurried towards the workshop with her father. On opening the door to the workshop she saw the most terrible sight. There no the floor, torn into a thousand pieces, was her beautiful tapestry. She picked up some of the ripped pieces of cloth and wept uncontrollably.
Idmon could not understand how such a terrible thing could happen for the doors to the workshop were locked as it housed such a prized possession.
Arachne ran out of the house shrieking and crying. She could not be consoled or comforted. Her father hoped that after a time her pain would ease. In the meantime he would have to explain what had happened to the temple priests.
Arachne has not returned by the end of the day. It was getting dark and her father was becoming very anxious. There was a gentle knock at the door. Her father opened it and there stood an old shepherd.
"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but I found your beautiful daughter Arachne dead. I found her hanging from the bough of an olive tree."
Idmon gave out a loud cry of pain that could be heard even on Mount Olympus. The goddess Athena, hearing the sad cry of Arachne's father, became very remorseful and regretted tearing to pieces the tapestry and causing poor Arachne's death. Athena flew to where Arachne's body swayed in the cold air.
'I will bring you back to life, not as your former self, but as a spider and turn this rope into a web. You will be a creature surpassing all others in the art of weaving and the secret will be passed on to you kind until the end of time.'
And according to legend, this is how spiders came into the world.