Arachne

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Arachne is the name by which Dante recalls the myth of the weaver of Lydia who, out of her pride, dared to challenge Minerva in weaving: the goddess tore the web and Arachne, having hanged herself, was transformed by her into a spider. In Purgatorio XII, the poet includes her as the seventh example of punished pride, in a position akin to that of Niobe, showing her while she is still halfway through the metamorphosis, with her face retaining a human appearance and her gaze fixed on the rags, the only remains of her work. The reproach "O foolish Arachne" is addressed to her directly, recalling the identical denomination already used in Inferno XVII. The episode constitutes, within the frame of the proud, a rapid and allusive mythological glimpse, devoid of further narrative developments.