In the Greek myth, Athene arrives and declares “I am the goddess you have mocked.” Arachne seems to be repentant, so Athene decides to give Arachne a chance to live and schedules a contest to take place a week later. Arachne weaves “joyous scenes” documenting the love story of a heterosexual couple. Athene teaches the men to plow, sail, and ride in chariots, while the women are given instruction on how to spin. This is evidence of the existence of traditional gender roles in Greek society. The story ends with Arachne as a spider spinning “without rivalry until the end of time.” Was this a happy ending for Arachne?
In the Roman myth, it is Arachne who proposes a competition, saying “I am not afraid of the goddess; let her try her skill, if she dare venture.” Minerva, who is portrayed as merciful, appears as an old lady and tries to warn Arachne not to compete with a goddess. However, the strong and fearless Arachne notes “If beaten, I will pay the penalty.” Arachne weaves scenes which depict “the failings and errors of the gods.” Minerva, on the other hand, weaves the scene of her contest with Neptune along with “incidents illustrating the displeasure of the gods at such presumptuous mortals as had dared to contend with them.” This myth ends with Arachne committing suicide after being forced to “feel her guilt and shame.” Her transformation into a spider serves as a reminder of the lesson she learned from Arachne, and the story clearly does not end happily for Arachne.
I was amazed with the numerous similarities between the Greek and Roman myths. In each of the myths, the goddess is born from her father’s forehead. Is this significant? I believe the Greek myth contains more patriarchal elements than the Roman myth. Is it the case that the Greek community was more patriarchal than the Roman community?
