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 thus she 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
Matt W.
Book 6 Myth Summary and Analysis
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
Matt W.
Book 6 Myth Summary and Analysis
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)