Character Overview

The Fates were three female goddesses who shaped people’s lives. In particular, they determined how long a man or woman would live. Although a number of cultures held the notion of three goddesses who influenced human destiny, the Fates were most closely identified with Greek mythology. The parentage of the Fates is something of a mystery. Hesiod described them as daughters of Nyx (pronounced NIKS), the goddess of night, but he also said that they were the children of Zeus (pronounced ZOOS), the chief of the gods, and Themis (pronounced THEEM-is), the goddess of justice.

The Greek image of the Fates developed over time. The poet Homer, credited with composing the Iliad and the Odyssey, spoke of Fate as a single force, perhaps simply the will of the gods. Another poet, Hesiod, portrayed the Fates as three old women. They were called the Keres (pronounced KARE-ays), which means “those who cut off’ or the Moirai (pronounced MOY-rye), “those who allot.” They may have originated as goddesses who were present at the birth of each child to determine the course of the child’s future life.

Hesiod called the Fates Clotho (pronounced KLO-thoh, “the spinner”), Lachesis (pronounced LAK-uh-sis; “the allotter”), and Atropos (pronounced AY-truh-pos; “the unavoidable”). In time, the name Clotho,

The three Fates. ALINARI/ART RESOURCE, NY.

With its reference to spinning thread, became the basis for images of the three Fates as controlling the thread of each person’s life. Clotho spun the thread, Lachesis measured it out, and Atropos cut it with a pair of shears to end the life span. Literary and artistic works often portray the Fates performing these tasks.

The Romans called the Fates Parcae (pronounced PAR-see), “those who bring forth the child.” Their names were Nona (pronounced NOH-nuh), Decuma (pronounced DEK-yoo-muh), and Morta (pronounced MOR-tuh). Nona and Decuma were originally goddesses of childbirth, but the Romans adopted the Greek concept of the three weavers of Fate and added a third goddess to complete the triad. In addition, they sometimes referred to fate or destiny as a single goddess known as Fortuna (for-TOO-nuh).