Question

Not among mortals alone were there contests of skill, nor yet among the gods. Many sorrows befell humans because they grew arrogant in their own devices and coveted divine honors. There was once a great hunter, Orion, who surpassed the gods themselves, till they took him away from his hunting grounds and set him in the night sky, with his sword and belt, and his hound at his heels. But at length, jealousy invaded even the peaceful arts, and disaster came of weaving!There was a certain maiden of Lydia, Arachne by name, renowned throughout the country for her skill as a weaver. She was as nimble with her fingers as Calypso, that nymph who kept Odysseus for seven years in her enchanted island. She was as untiring as Penelope, the hero’s wife, who wove day after day while she watched for his return. Day in and day out, Arachne wove, too. The nymphs would gather about her loom, spirits from the water and trees.“Maiden,” they would say, shaking the leaves or the foam from their hair in wonder, “Athena must have taught you to spin such thread!”But this did not please Arachne. She would not acknowledge herself as a debtor, even to that goddess who protected all household arts, and by whose grace alone one had any skill in them.“I learned not of Athena,” she said. “If she can weave better, let her come and try.”The nymphs shivered at this, and an aged woman, who was looking on, turned to Arachne.“Be more prudent with your words, my daughter,” the elder woman said. “The goddess may pardon you if you ask forgiveness, but do not strive for honors with the immortals.”Arachne broke her thread, and the shuttle stopped.“Keep your counsel,” she said. “I fear not Athena; no, nor anyone else.”As she frowned at the old woman, she was amazed to see the old woman change suddenly into a tall, majestic, beautiful maiden with gray eyes and golden hair, crowned with a golden helmet. It was Athena herself.The bystanders shrank in fear and reverence; only Arachne was unawed and held to her foolish boast.In silence the two began to weave, and the nymphs stole nearer, coaxed by the sound of the shuttles, that seemed to be humming with delight over the two webs — back and forth like bees.The nymphs gazed upon the loom where the goddess stood working and they saw shapes and images bloom out of the wondrous colors, just as clouds seem to grow like living creatures at sunset. And they saw that Athena, still merciful, was spinning a warning for Arachne: the pictures of the goddess’ triumph over reckless gods and mortals.In one corner of the web, she wove her conquest over the sea god Poseidon. For the first king of Athens had promised to dedicate the city to that god who should bestow upon it the most useful gift. Poseidon gave the horse. But Athena gave the olive — symbol of peace and prosperity — and the city was called after her name.Another corner pictured the vain woman of Troy, who had been turned into a crane for disputing with a goddess. Other corners of the web held similar images, and the whole shone like a rainbow.Meanwhile Arachne, who was consumed with vanity, embroidered her web with stories against the gods, making light of Zeus himself and of Apollo, portraying them as birds and beasts. But she wove with marvellous skill. The creatures seemed to breathe and speak, yet all was as fine as gossamer on grass before rain.Athena herself was amazed. Not even her wrath at the girl’s insolence could wholly overcome her wonder. For an instant, she stood entranced — then she slashed the woven image across.“Live on, Arachne,” she said. “And since it is your glory to weave, you and your descendants must weave forever.” So saying, she touched Arachne’s forehead three times with her spindle and sprinkled upon the maiden a magical potion.Away went Arachne’s beauty. Her human form transformed into that of a spider, and so remained. As a spider, she spent all of her days weaving and weaving; you may see something like her handiwork any day among the rafters.Text: "The Myth of Arachne" from Old Greek Folk Stories Told Anew (1897) by Josephine Preston Peabody is in the public domain. This text has been modified.Image: "Loom" by jimi-diesel is licensed under CC0.Notes:desiredfairy or nature spirita hand-operated machine used to weave fabricsa device used in weavingdeep respect or admirationan ultra-fine, silky substanceAssessment Questions12345678…250 out of 25 AnsweredQuestion 1PART A: Which statement best describes the main theme of the story?A. Young people should listen to the advice of elders.B. Weaving is a difficult art that requires immense skill.C. Having too much pride can cause a person's downfall.D. Artists should take pride in their hard work and talents.

Answer 1

C. Having too much pride can cause a person's downfall.

Arachne's arrogance in claiming she needed no teacher and challenging Athena leads directly to her punishment—losing her human form and being turned into a spider—showing pride brings ruin.