Identity Crisis – Athena Answers
1. Metis avoided Zeus’s pursuit by frequently changing forms. She would change herself into a bird and
fly into the sky. She would change herself into a fish and dive into the sea, etc. . . .
2. Zeus didn’t want Metis to have a child because of an ancient prophecy that said Metis’s child would
grow to be more powerful than his/her father (which, in this case, is Zeus).
3. In order to avoid the prophecy, Zeus swallowed Metis and the child she carried, just like his father
Kronos had done to his children years before.
4. Athena, Zeus’s daughter, was born from Zeus’s head when Hephaestus the metal smith cut open
Zeus’s head with a silver ax.
5. Orestes was the son of Agamemnon. Orestes was put on trial for kill his mother, Clytemnestra. He
was found innocent Apollo convinced the jury that mothers were not important, anyway.
6. Athena hated Aphrodite because Aphrodite did not use her mind or intelligence, but rather used her
beauty and craftiness to get what she wanted. Athena hated anyone who didn’t use their mind or
intellect.
7. Arachne’s talent was weaving beautiful tapestries that look as if they have been spun from jewels.
8. Athena challenged Arachne to a weaving contest. Arachne wove a tapestry that depicted birth and
love, the care of mothers for their babies, the pride of fathers for their sons and the memories of joy
and sadness that all humans have. Athena used the clouds for yarn, the sky for a backdrop, the sun and
stars for light, and tidal pools for texture. She wove a tapestry depicting the creation of man, the
treachery of gods and humans, and the wonder of the universe..
9. Athena won the contest.
10. As a result of Athena’s victory, Arachne hung herself from a tree. Athena, however, took pity on the
girl and turned her into a spider so that she (Arachne) could weave webs for the rest of her life.