Arachne - Mythopedia When Arachne’s tapestry surpassed Athena’s, the goddess flew into a rage and attacked her Arachne then hanged herself But Athena took pity on the dead girl and turned her into a spider so that she could continue her weaving The only complete retelling of the myth of Arachne comes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses; the origins of the myth are
Minerva – Mythopedia It started when Arachne, a young girl and a talented weaver, boasted that her mastery of the craft even exceeded that of Minerva When Minerva heard of this boast, she transformed herself into an old woman and counseled Arachne to rescind her claim When Arachne defiantly repeated her conceit, the old woman challenged her to a contest
Metamorphoses: Book 6 (Full Text) - Mythopedia Arachne drew the fam’d intrigues of Jove, Chang’d to a bull to gratify his love; How thro’ the briny tide all foaming hoar, Lovely Europa on his back he bore The sea seem’d waving, and the trembling maid Shrunk up her tender feet, as if afraid; And, looking back on the forsaken strand, To her companions wafts her distant hand
Species Names - Mythopedia Fantasy species names: Origin, structure, and meaning Nothing makes a fantasy animal species come alive like a scientific name
Ariadne - Mythopedia Greek Ariadne first appeared in Greek literature in the Iliad and the Odyssey, epic poems attributed to Homer (eighth century BCE): Book 18 of the Iliad briefly mentions that Daedalus built a dancing floor for Ariadne (590–92), while Book 11 of the Odyssey alludes to the tradition in which Ariadne was killed by Artemis on Dia (321–25)
Athena – Mythopedia Arachne One example of Athena’s anger is the myth of Arachne Though this myth has become quite famous, it was not well known in antiquity Virtually the only source for it is the Roman poet Ovid, who wrote in the late first century BCE and early first century CE According to Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Arachne was a weaver who lived in Lydia
Marsyas – Mythopedia Marsyas was a satyr who roamed the woodlands of Phrygia A virtuoso of the panpipes, he foolishly challenged Apollo, the god of music himself, to a music contest Upon being defeated, Marsyas was flayed alive for his hubris
Iliad: Book 16 (Full Text) - Mythopedia Mythopedia We’re building the world’s most authoritative, online mythology resource, with engaging, accessible content that is both educational and compelling to read
Homeric Hymns: 28. To Athena (Full Text) - Mythopedia TO ATHENA (1–18) I begin to sing of Pallas Athene, the glorious goddess, bright-eyed, inventive, unbending of heart, pure virgin, saviour of cities, courageous, Tritogeneia
Althaea - Mythopedia Althaea, daughter of Thestius, was the wife of the Calydonian king Oeneus She was best known for bringing about the death of her son Meleager after he killed her brothers in a quarrel during the Calydonian Boar Hunt