The Three Fates

The Fates were a common motif in European polytheism, most frequently represented as a group of three mythological goddesses They were often depicted as.
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The Fates are often depicted as wearing white robes. They are often shown each holding a staff, to highlight their power and dominance.

The Fates (Moirai)

Sometimes, they are shown wearing crowns. Three asteroids are named after the Fates: The Fates controlled the birth, death and lifespan of all gods and mortals. Every time a child was born, it was believed that the Fates would visit them three days after and decide whether the child should live. As soon as a child was born, the threads that the sisters used to determine life began to be spun.

What exactly does Fate Mean?

Each of the sisters had different roles. Clotho weaved the web of life from her distaff onto her roll, referred to as the Book of Fate. Lachesis would mature these threads to determine how long each life would last using her measuring staff. She would also point this staff at Horoscopes on the globe. Atropos decided exactly how someone was going to die using and would use shears to cut the thread when the time came.

The Three Fates: Destiny’s Deities of Ancient Greece and Rome

She was also the eldest and the wisest of the Three Sisters. According to some sources—though still heavily disputed amongst scholars— Zeus was the only god who was not bound by the Fates. He was able to overrule any decision they wished to make on a life. Therefore, Zeus had the power to interfere and control the destiny of any man if he wished.


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They knew the past, the present and the future and were interpreted as oracles. This allowed the Fates to decide what a man could or could not achieve throughout his life. Therefore, they possessed the knowledge of destiny as well as deciding it. They would go from the deities of fate to the goddesses of death. The Fates worked independently from the other deities but sometimes worked with the Erinyes , a different group of three sisters who inflicted punishment when man carried out misdeeds.

Who Are the Fates?

Together, they directed the fate of man in line with the laws of necessity. The Fates apparently fought with bats during the war between the Titans and the Olympians. When Typhon —the youngest son of Gaia —attacked heaven , the Fates told him that he would be strengthened if he ate the fruits they possessed.


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After he did, he was easily defeated by Zeus and put into the dungeon, Tartarus. This gave them the reputation that they were not scared in the face of battle and that they were magnificent in the face of adversary, which showed their power off to the gods. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Moira, Moirai, Parca, Parcae. Learn More in these related Britannica articles: Human energy and courage should, accordingly, be spent not in exceeding the proper limits of the human condition but in bearing it with style, pride, and dignity, gaining as much….

Homeric society is stratified, from Zeus to the meanest beggar.


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  7. The Greek Moira, for instance, is comparable to Asha and rita. The Moira in classical Greek religion is not yet fate as this idea was found in Greco-Roman times. The concept of cosmic order may function either in a religious or in a philosophical context; e. Atropos , in Greek mythology, one of the three Fate s, the others being Clotho and Lachesis.

    Atropos is most frequently represented with scales, a sundial, or a cutting instrument, described by…. Personal and impersonal forms role in Greek epic In epic: The heroic life Greek religion In Greek religion: The gods Shakespearean tragedy In tragedy: From comedy to tragedy. Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback.

    Fate | Greek and Roman mythology | leondumoulin.nl

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