Arachna was born into a family of ordinary people. Her mother died when Arachna was still a little girl, followed by her father, the fabric dyer Edmond. Arachna was left alone, and to earn her living, she wove a canvas and embroidered beautiful patterns on it. Such a skilled craftswoman was Arachna, that soon the fame of her went all over Lydia. Everywhere people went to the poor house of Arachna to look at her amazing art, to admire her work gathered nymphs from the shores of gold-bearing Pactol. Prior to that, Arachna's paintings were good, and everyone began to call her a student of the great Athena of Pallas. But Arachna knew that there was no equal in the world in her skills, and was not going to share the glory with the great goddess.
And then one day the proud Arachna exclaimed:
- Even though Athena Pallada herself comes to compete with me, she still can't beat me. I'll put anything in pledge!
Athena heard these proud words, under the guise of a grey hunched old woman she appeared before Arachna and told her:
- About Arachna, Arachna, never be proud of what the great gods gave you. And remember. There is one good feature in the years of the elderly: with age there is experience. Listen to my advice, Arachna, try to surpass mortals with your art. And if you now ask the goddess for forgiveness for her bold words, she will forgive you.
But Arachna did not take wise advice, she let go of the thin yarn and exclaimed angrily:
- I don't want to hear your instructions, you foolish old woman. Read them to others, but leave me alone. I know what to do and what to say. Why isn't Athena coming? Or is she afraid to compete with me?
- I'm here, Arachna," the goddess couldn't stand it, taking her true form. Everyone bowed down before the mighty goddess, greeting her. Arachna alone stood silent and did not even bow her head. The great goddess blushed with anger. Well, if this proud weaver does not want to humble herself in front of the great goddess, let her pay for her pride.
And now the rivals stood up on different sides of the machine, stretched the canvases, and the competition began. The majestic Athenian Acropolis was pulled out by the goddess on a wonderful canvas. She depicted on it her long-standing dispute with Poseidon, when they could not decide which of them has more power in the Attic. Zeus himself and the twelve other gods settled the dispute. Poseidon lifted up his sparkling trident, hit them against a rock, and a salty spring rushed out of an empty, lifeless rock. Opposite it stood Athena in a helmet with a shield and in the aegis - his permanent armor with the head of Medusa Gorgon in the center of them, with snakes on the edges. She raised her spear, shocked them and pierced the ground deeply. A sacred olive immediately grew out of the ground. The gods awarded the victory to Athena and recognized her gift as stronger than that of Poseidon. Then the city grew there, and since then it has been named after Athena. This is what Athena weaved on her canvas, and in the corners of it she depicted the punishment of the gods of people who try to compete with them. A wreath of olive leaves stretched around this wonderful canvas.
Arachna also depicted on her veil scenes from the life of the gods. She put all her art into this work, and her canvas was as beautiful and skillful as Athena's. But at the same time their work was very different. If Athena on her canvas showed the gods in all her greatness and power, the gods of Arachna were as sinful and weak as the ordinary mortals. And we could see how Arachna treated them: disrespectfully, with ridicule, and even with contempt.
The face of the great goddess flashed with bright paint, she pulled a beautiful canvas out of Arachna's hands, ripped it to pieces and hit Arachna with a shuttle. The poor Arachna did not suffer the shame, she made a strong rope and decided to hang herself on it. But the ruthless goddess did not leave the poor weaver, she took her out of the loop and said:
- You will live and suffer. From now on, you'll be hanging forever and weaving forever. This vengeance will also fall on your offspring: on children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And even their children and grandchildren will endure this punishment.
Angry Athena sprayed the poor Arachna with the potion of the terrible goddess Hecate's potion, and her head immediately fell in love with her, her thick hair fell off, her body became quite tiny, and on the sides grew thin curved, covered with hard wool, legs. She turned to Arachna spider. Since then, the Arachna spider has always been hanging on his web, still pulling the thread and weaving his endless canvas.
That's how Edmond's daughter, Arachna, paid for her arrogance and bragging. She wanted to rise above the majestic Athena, and turned into a nasty spider.