#ancient greek aesthetic
The Corner of the Villa (Detail)
Edward John Poynter, 1889
Waiting for an Answer
John William Godward
The swift-footed huntress: Atalanta
Abandoned for being born female, Atalanta was raised to become one of the best huntresses in the wilderness by a bear. She vowed she would only marry a man if he could beat her at a foot race, beheading those that lost against her. Eventually, Atalanta was defeated by a man with the help of Aphrodite by distracting her during a race with golden apples. Her husband did not pay the goddess back for her help, and so Atalanta and her husband were turned into lionsaspunishment.
The Weaver: Arachne
Arachne was a shepard’s daughter that claimed to be the best weaver among gods and men. Athena, the goddess of weaving, was angered by her claims and challenged Arachne. The girl’s work was better than the goddess’s. In her anger, Athena turned Arachne into a spider for her hubris, cursing her to weave for all eternity.
(the Mortals: Pandora|Arachne|Atalanta)
The first mortal woman: Pandora
Created by the gods and given beauty and cunning, Pandora was gifted with a storage jar (later known as a box) as a wedding gift. She opened the jar and released the swarm of evil spirits trapped within that would forever after plague mankind. Only Hope remained behind.
