Ovid’s human characters in the Metamorphoses fervently revered their gods. These people held rites of worship and festivals for their divine superiors to prove their piety. To comment on the relationship between the human and the divine, Ovid’s narrator in the Metamorphoses offers a valuable note of caution in response to the tragic episode between the talented mortal Arachne and the goddess Minerva: “do not compete with gods, and do not boast” (183). The gods acknowledge their lofty position above the mortals; the mortals, more often than not, willingly accept this relationship. The interactions between the gods and the humans do not always, however, reflect this disparity. Following the account of the earth’s formation, Ovid’s narrator describes
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The contest begins with both Arachne and Minerva “quick to take her separate place / and, on her loom, to stretch her warp’s fine threads. / On high, onto a beam, each ties her web…” (179). The two approach the art of weaving in the same manner; despite being a goddess, Minerva does not possess knowledge of a more efficient production method for weaving of which her human opponent is unaware. From the contest’s outset, Minerva and Arachne are on equal standing and labor relentlessly. Their work differs only in the scenes represented in their respective tapestries. Minerva weaves a scene of the gods in their “regal” glory, exalting each deity’s characteristic power or phenomenon over which he or she has control (180). The scene honors the gods as the supreme masters of the earth and of heaven, which includes a representation of Minerva as a respected and valiant member of the godly class. Minerva also “added at each corner – / so that the girl be warned of what awaits her / audacity – a painted scene of contest” (180). Minerva’s depiction glorifies the gods and reinforces her belief that these gods retain a just placement above the mortals. In conjunction with her attempt to denigrate Arachne, this serves as another signal that Minerva maintains a vain insecurity. Arachne’s tapestry forms a direct contrast
The contest begins with both Arachne and Minerva “quick to take her separate place / and, on her loom, to stretch her warp’s fine threads. / On high, onto a beam, each ties her web…” (179). The two approach the art of weaving in the same manner; despite being a goddess, Minerva does not possess knowledge of a more efficient production method for weaving of which her human opponent is unaware. From the contest’s outset, Minerva and Arachne are on equal standing and labor relentlessly. Their work differs only in the scenes represented in their respective tapestries. Minerva weaves a scene of the gods in their “regal” glory, exalting each deity’s characteristic power or phenomenon over which he or she has control (180). The scene honors the gods as the supreme masters of the earth and of heaven, which includes a representation of Minerva as a respected and valiant member of the godly class. Minerva also “added at each corner – / so that the girl be warned of what awaits her / audacity – a painted scene of contest” (180). Minerva’s depiction glorifies the gods and reinforces her belief that these gods retain a just placement above the mortals. In conjunction with her attempt to denigrate Arachne, this serves as another signal that Minerva maintains a vain insecurity. Arachne’s tapestry forms a direct contrast