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From sailors who were turned into pigs,

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nymphs that sprouted into trees,

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and a gaze that converted 
the beholder to stone,

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Greek mythology brims with shape-shifters.

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The powerful gods usually changed 
their own forms at will,

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but for mortals, the mutations 
were often unwanted.

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One such unnerving transformation 
befell the spinner Arachne.

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Arachne was the daughter 
of a tradesman

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who spent his days dying cloth 
the deepest shades of purple.

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She had a flair for spinning 
the finest threads,

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weaving them into flowing fabric,

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and creating magnificent tapestries.

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People flocked to watch her hands 
flying across her loom,

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as if thread sprung directly 
from her fingertips.

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But as praise for her work grew, 
so did her pride.

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Arachne could often be heard 
boasting about her skills,

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declaring that her talent surpassed 
anyone else’s—mortal or divine.

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She refused to see weaving 
as a gift from the gods.

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Rather, she flaunted it 
as her own personal genius.

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Unfortunately, the goddess of wisdom 
and crafts, Athena,

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overheard Arachne 
making these claims.

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Planning to teach 
the ungrateful girl a lesson,

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Athena disguised herself as an old woman
and stole amongst the mortals.

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She berated Arachne in public—

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how dare the weaver claim
herself greater than the gods?

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But Arachne only laughed, 
barely looking up from her loom.

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Provoked, the old woman threw off
her cloak to reveal her true form.

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If Arachne insisted on defaming the gods,

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Athena would challenge her 
to a contest directly.

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Masking her shock at the appearance 
of the grey-eyed goddess,

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Arachne accepted the challenge.

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Athena drew up her own glittering loom 
as a great crowd gathered to watch.

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The weavers began, 
eyes fixed and shuttles blurring.

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Athena conjured 
wisps of cloud from above

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and slender threads of grass 
from below in a spectacle of strength.

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She wove tremendous scenes 
that showed the power of the gods:

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Poseidon riding the waves,

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Zeus firing thunderbolts,

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and Apollo hurtling across the sky.

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In Athena’s splendid tapestry, 
the glory of the gods dwarfed mortal life.

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But Arachne had no interest 
in boosting godly egos.

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Her tapestry showed the gods
abusing their power:

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squabbling amongst themselves,

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drinking and bragging,

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and meddling in the lives of mortals.

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She represented Zeus as a philanderer,
transfiguring himself to ensnare women:

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a swan for Leda,

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a bull for Europa,

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a shower of gold for Danae.

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Arachne then turned
to the misdemeanors of other gods,

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from Pluto’s abduction of Persephone

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to Bacchus’s wild pursuit of Erigone.

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Even though she cast the gods 
in the most unflattering light,

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Arachne’s work shone 
with her dazzling skill.

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Her tapestry was almost alive,

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filled with movement 
and lustrous colors

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that winked triumphantly.

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When Athena saw Arachne's undeniably
better and flagrantly subversive work,

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she flew into a rage 
and turned on the human weaver.

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Arachne’s glee dimmed as she felt her body
shrinking and contorting.

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Her fingers waved wildly 
as her arms stuck to her sides,

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and black hair
sprouted all over her body.

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The goddess left Arachne with a single 
spool of thread unfurling from her belly,

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a slim reminder of her human talent.

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For challenging the assumption
that the gods were untouchable,

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Athena had shrunk her adversary 
into the first spider.

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To this day, Arachne and her children spin
out her penance—

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or is it undaunted persistence?—

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in the shadows of giants.