A Greek myth - how the arachnids got their name
The Story of Arachne
Arachne was a country girl who wove beautiful fabrics of delicate designs. She was proud of her skills, and even boasted that she was a better weaver than the goddess Athena.Soon Athena heard about this and decided to investigate. Disguised as an old woman, she went to visit Arachne. The old woman advised, "It is foolish to pretend that you are like one of the gods. A talented mortal you may be, but no match for Athena."
Arachne charged back to the old lady, "If Athena doesn't like my words, then let her prove her skills in a weaving contest."
Suddenly, the disguise of the old woman was transformed, and there stood the radiant goddess Athena standing in front of her. Rashly, Arachne pursued her challenge.
As the contest began, it was clear that both tapestries were lovely. However, Athena saw that Arachne was weaving pictures that showed foolish and embarrassing adventures of the gods, including Athena herself. This angered the goddess so much that she slapped Arachne in the face. Instantly, Arachne felt her head begin to shrink and her nimble fingers grow into long, thin legs.
"Vain girl, since you love to weave so very much, you shall spin and weave forever!" Athena had turned Arachne into a spider. Since then, spiders have been called arachnids.
In the room beyond, we can see the goddess Athena in her helmet, facing the unabashed weaver Arachne. Velazquez' painting