Arachne

Arachne was a figure from Greek mythology.

Weaving contest
Arachne was a greatly skilled weaver who dared to compare her skill to that of the goddess Athena. Disguised as an old woman, Athena warned Arachne about comparing herself to the gods but Arachne disregarded her. Athena revealed herself and challenged Arachne to a weaving contest. In some myths, Arachne truly was a better weaver than Athena while, in other myths, Arachne wove images of the gods in embarrassing scenes. Either way, Athena destroyed the work of Arachne and struck her in the face. Arachne then transformed into a spider.

In another myth, Arachne hung herself after being beaten by Athena so she was transformed into a spider.