Being Too Prideful In Greek And Roman Myth

Someone once said, "Too much ego will kill your talent." This relates to the Greek and Roman myth and how being too prideful can destroy a person. Stories of being too prideful have been told in ancient times especially by the Greek and Romans to explain the origin of spiders. The ancient Greeks and Romans both have told myths of how spiders originated; however, there are some differences.

The Greek version, for example, describes the goddess Athena and her conflict against a simple villager named Arachne. Furthermore, while they weave, both Arachne and Athena portray gods as beautiful. While Athena's work is exceptional, Arachne's work is depicted as lifelike. As the weaving contest winds down, the nymphs and villagers judge the two tapestries and Athena soon realizes that Arachne's work is better. Athena, upset, smashes her weaving shuttle and pokes Arachne with guilt. Because Arachne is a mortal, the guilt is too overwhelming for her to handle. Eventually, Arachne becomes so depressed that she commits suicide. Athena had been watching and felt badly for her actions, so she sprinkled the nectar of aconite on Arachne’s head. Arachne comes back to life, but not as she was. She comes back in the form of a
For example, the Roman goddess, Minerva battles with a villager named Arachne. The two begin their battle with the goddess at her wheel and the girl at hers. During the contest, Minerva shows the gods as beautiful and giving gifts to mortals, while Arachne shows the gods as cruel and always punishing those below them. The spectators decide that Minerva's work is better. Arachne, still believing that her work is better, is boastful towards the goddess. Minerva is perturbed and smashes her weaving shuttle on Arachne's head. She immediately changes and shrivels up into an ugly spider. Arachne then cowers into a corner where her and her descendants will weave colorless tapestries