Myth of Arachne

​Myth of Arachne

By Mary Jane Tambalo

By Olivia Coolidge

Open Ended

Look at this picture.

What do you see?

What do you notice about spider webs?

​Let’s explore the story of Arachne, a young and talented weaver whose great skill led her to challenge a goddess. Through her story, we will discover important lessons about pride, humility, and respect.

By Mary Jane Tambalo

Long ago, in Greece, there was a young girl named Arachne. 

She was very good at weaving and making beautiful cloth. People came from far away just to see her work.

But Arachne became too proud. She said her weaving was better than anyone else’s—even better than the goddess Athena, who was known as the goddess of wisdom and crafts. 

When Athena heard this, she came down to Earth, disguised as an old woman.

She warned Arachne not to be so proud, and to respect the gods. But Arachne laughed and said she wasn’t afraid. 

So, Athena showed her true self.

They both worked quickly, making the most beautiful cloth anyone had ever seen. 

​and challenged Arachne to a weaving contest.

Athena’s weaving showed the power of the gods.

Arachne’s weaving showed stories of gods making mistakes and doing bad things. Her work was perfect—so perfect that even Athena could not find a single flaw. 

But Athena grew angry, because Arachne had no respect for the gods. In her rage, Athena tore Arachne’s cloth.

​​Arachne felt ashamed and very sad. She tried to end her life, but Athena stopped her.

Instead, she turned Arachne into a spider, saying, “From now on, you and your children will weave forever.” 

And that is why, in myths, spiders are known as great weavers—because they are the children of Arachne. 

 Don’t be too proud of your talents. Always stay humble and show respect. 

Moral of the story:

Multiple Choice

Where did the story of Arachne take place?

• Egypt

• Rome

• Greece

• China

Multiple Choice

What was Arachne’s special skill?

• Singing beautifully

• Weaving beautiful cloth

• Dancing gracefully

• Painting pictures

Multiple Choice

Why did people come from far away to see Arachne?

• To ask her for help

• To see her beautiful weaving

• To hear her stories

• To watch her dance

Multiple Choice

Who was the goddess that Arachne compared herself to?

• Hera

• Aphrodite

• Athena

• Artemis

Multiple Choice

What did Athena disguise herself as when she first visited Arachne?

• A young girl

• An old woman

• A queen

• A bird

Open Ended

If you were Arachne, what would you have done differently?

Open Ended

What lesson did you learn from Arachne’s story?

Open Ended

How can you apply the moral of the story in your daily life as a student?

Word Cloud

When you think of the story ‘The Myth of Arachne,’ what word comes to your mind?

Draw

Draw a simple spider web and write one word or short phrase in each part of the web that shows what you learned from The Story of Arachne.