Matt W.Book 6 Myth Summary and Analysis
Book 6:
Arachne:
This myth starts with Minerva talking about this Lydian girl called Arachne. Minerva feels that Arachne is not praising Minerva enough and also that Arachne feels that Minerva and herself are equals when it comes to their skill in sewing. We then continue to learn how amazing Arachne’s weaving abilities are and how many people admire and respect her because of this. This talent is mostly the result of Minerva teaching Arachne the skill of weaving. Arachne however does not feel she owes Minerva anything and thusshe does not praise her for teaching and this is why Minerva is mad at Arachne.
Arachne then begins to show off and display her ability and thus poses a challenge to anybody to see if they can out weave her. Minerva then decides to disguise herself as an old hag and she challenges Arachne. Minerva then speaks to Arachne about how she should yield to Minerva because she is extremely powerful. Arachne does not agree with this and it angers Arachne and causes her to backlash at the old hag (Minerva). Minerva then has no choice but to reveal her true identity and thus they began their weave off.
Minerva then begins to weave a colourful tapestry that depicts the (Page 213 quote).
Arachne’s picture shows many episodes of failed love and seduction such as (Page 215 quote). Minerva resents Arachne for her accomplishment and then rips up the picture of the gods’misdemeanors. Minerva then begins to beat Arachne with a piece of would but stops and spares her life. She then turns Arachne into a spider where she will be able to weave for the rest of her life.
This story relates to Ancient Rome in the way that people back then were limited in their power and freedom. People were encouraged to achieve their best as long as they did not become more skilled and powerful than their mentors. If they did become more powerful though then jealousy and revenge would cause the leaders to crush and exile their students. An example of this is jealousy is how Augustus crushed any of his opponents to ensure that he remained in power. This is similar to how Minerva treats Arachne in the sense that Minerva feels threatened by Arachne’s abilities and thus, it causes Minerva to turn her into a spider.
Main Themes:
This story relates to jealousy and resentment and how the gods punish those who are better than them.
How it relates to modern day:
Sports teams: the rookie comes in and is better than the veteran
Reality TV: Survivor, if someone is too good or better than them, they then get voted off the island because other people are threatened.
Amazing race
Niobe:
Niobe is the queen of Thesbe. Niobe is also Atlas’s grandchild, Jove is Niobe’s grandsire, and she is the daughter of Tantalus who is the only mortal ever permitted to feast with the gods. Due to these qualifications Niobe feels that the people of the city should be praising her instead of Latona. Also Niobe has seven sons and seven daughters that will support her and be faithful followers. Niobe then goes on to insult Latona about how she only has two children and also how she could not find refuge on Earth.
Latona hears these remarks and decides to exact revenge upon Niobe and her family. After this decision Latona and her two children, Apollo and Phoebe, head down to Niobe’s palace. They then began an extremely brutal and bloody killing spree that had Siphyles die due to “Page 221 Quote”. After this brutal killing spree all of Niobe’s 14 children are died and this causes Niobe to die and transform into the stone on top of a summit where she is still crying.
This story relates to how Augustus was extremely sensitive to his power and how he would do anything to maintain it. Augustus would take anyone who was a threat to him and he would exile them or kill them. This protection of power is similar to how Latona acts when Niobe tries to get the city to worship her instead. Even though Latona’s way of enforcing her power is much more brutal than most of Augustus’s actions, it contains and completes the same objective which is protection of power.
Main Themes:
Power
Revenge
Fear (Latona fears that Niobe will take over her role and thus it causes her to invoke these terrible actions on Niobe)
How it relates to modern society:
During Stalin’s time as leader he squashed and killed anybody who opposed him and was a threat.
If you embarrass or hurt someone then they will get you back.
Hitler was extremely protective of his power and did anything he could to maintain it by crushing anyone who opposed him.
Philomela and Procne
This story begins with the discussion of Tereus and Procne’s marriage who are the King and Queen of Thrace. After five autumns of being married Procne asks Tereus if she can visit her sister. After much pleading Tereus lets her go. Upon arriving at Athens Tereus meets Philomela who is Procne’s sister. Tereus is instantly attracted to Philomela and will give him “the whole kingdom” Pg 232. Tereus then suggests that Philomela should return with Procne and him to Thrace for a visit. Philomela’s father then grants her request. Pandion, Philomela’s father, then talks to Tereus and entrusts him with his daughters to keep them safe. Once they begin their voyage Tereus screams out “Quote page 235”. Upon arrival at Thrace Tereus immediately takes Philomela into the forest and brutally rapes her. Philomela then pleas with Tereus to kill her but instead Tereus just cuts her hair off and leaves her there. Upon returning to his wife, Procne asks Tereus where her sister is and he responds with a made up story about how she is dead. She believes this story and is extremely saddened. Tereus continues his pillage of Philomela’s body for a year. Philomela is helpless and cannot escape so she gives her sister’s servant a Thracian loop that has a hidden message telling her what her husband has been doing. Procne is enraged by this and rescues his sister from tomb.
Procne then feels that she needs to exact revenge upon Tereus and she says that “Quote page 240”. Before they kill Tereus though they find Itys, Tereus’s son, and Philomela brutally kills him and cuts him up into pieces. After this Procne meets her husband at dinner and Tereus asks where his son is. At this moment Procne tells him that the meal he is having is actually his dead sons flesh and simultanously Philomela tosses Itys head at Tereus. This disgusts and enrages Tereus and thus he “Quote from 242”. He then continues to chase Phobian’s two daughters around with his sword and then both daughters transform into birds to fly away. Tereus still thirsting for vengeance also transforms into a bird and chases after them.
In this story Philomela discusses how Procne needs to be more in touch with your family roots and past and not with her more recent family. Philomela feels that the past is more important than the future and that in order to move forward you need to look to the past. This is how Philomela convinces Procne to kill her son, Itys, in order to exact revenge upon her husband and also so that she can return to her past family roots or more specifically, her father. This relates to how Augustus wanted to bring back the golden age and get rid of the problems that were in the society of modern day. Augustus felt that the past was more important than the modern day. Overall the way Philomela convinces Procne to get rid of her modern family and to stay true to her roots is similar to how Augustus convinced the people of Rome that the lifestyle they were leaving was wrong and that they should return to the golden age to fix their problems.
Main Themes:
Revenge
Desire
The Past
How it relates to the modern day:
Shift in power-revolt or rebellion
How European countries took advantage of Africa and it’s resources (Tereus raping Philomela). This caused a revolt and rebellion by the people (Procne and Philomela killing Itys out of revenge)