About Arachne

This is the Arachne networking webpage. Arachne is weaving nets for its members. In history, Arachne means "Spider" in Ancient Greek.

From Wikipedia:

In Greco-Roman mythology, Arachne was a great mortal weaver who boasted that her skill was greater than that of Athena, goddess of wisdom, weaving, and strategy. Arachne refused to acknowledge that her knowledge came, in part at least, from the goddess. Offended by Arachne's arrogance, Athena set a contest between the two weavers. Athena presented herself as an old lady one day and approached the boasting girl. "You can never compare to any of the gods. Plead for forgiveness and Athena might spare your soul" Athena warned the girl. "Ha, I only speak the truth and if Athena thinks otherwise then let her come down and challenge me herself." Arachne boasted on. "Very well then" Athena took off her disguise and appeared in her beautiful, shimmering godly self clad in her sparking white chiton. Without another word the goddess and mortal stepped forward to a loom each and started working. It was obvious that Arachne was a spectacular weaver but she just couldn't beat Athena's beautiful and perfectly made tapestry that depicted stories of different consequences of mortals that disrespected the gods. Not only this but she was much swifter. When Athena was done she sat back and watched her opponent work the loom. What she saw made her fume. Arachne's tapestry showed images of everything the gods have ever done wrong to mortals. Outraged, Athena stood up and slashed Arachne's tapestry in half and slapped her across the cheek. "I will not live under this insult" Arachne said. She got a rope and hung her self. Athena took pity on the girl and touched the rope she hung on. "Live on, weave on" and turned Arachne into a spider.