One of my favorite moments in literature comes from the Ancient Roman poet Ovid’s _Metamorphosis_, which weaves together all the myths of the Olympian deities into one narrative. Among the hundreds of tales Ovid relates is the story of the contest between the Goddess Minerva and the young maiden Arachne, whose talents for weaving exquisite tapestries was known far and wide. When Minerva, the Goddess of wisdom and handicrafts, becomes jealous about Arachne’s fame, the two get into a weaving contest to see who can produce the most beautiful fabric. As Ovid describes the composition of the two entries, it is like he is reflecting on two different ways of looking at the world. On Minerva’s piece, the Goddess shows an orderly universe, with Juppiter in the center, surrounded by the other Olympians who are firmly in control of humanity. The Latin Ovid uses has a stately and formal cadence in these lines. When Ovid describes Arachne’s pattern, there is a lot more chaos – but Ovid notes that it looks far truer to life. The young maiden’s images show repeatedly how the Gods mistreat mortals and bring them harm . . . Of course, Minerva is enraged. Not only was Arachne’s topic disrespectful, but her tapestry was better. Readers of _The _Metamorphosis_ know where Ovid’s sympathies lie: Arachne’s messier universe is truer and more beautiful than a vision of an orderly cosmos under the heavy control of the Gods. When Arachne sees Minerva’s hostility, the girl puts a noose around her neck to hang herself, but Minerva, instead of letting the mortal die, changes her into a spider, and curses all her descendants to weave throughout time.
Source(s): Spiderweb photo is by Rhinehartphotography.
