The Fates

By M.C.

The three daughters of Zeus and Themis, known as the Fates, were depicted as gloomy, elderly goddesses who decided the fates of the ancient Greeks.  The Fates cut the threads of mortal’s lives, deciding when they would die.  These minor goddesses knew the past, present, and future.  Because of this they had much power over what was happening on earth.  Even Zeus could not sway their decisions, though he did not always agree with them.  Despite all their power, some people changed their, or other’s fates, and the goddesses could do nothing.  Their power was limited up to that point, and they could do nothing if someone found a way to live after their time.  They were often angry when these things happened, and asked more powerful gods to do something.  Not all the time they would help the Fates, and the lucky mortal would get away with it for the moment.  These goddesses acted as one in the few responsibilities they had, but each Fate did an explicit task in their over all job: Clotho spun the thread, Lachesis decided how long it would be, and Atropos cut it.  Apart from these things, the goddesses sometimes helped with childbirth.  The Fates only power was to decide the length of everyone’s lives, but they did that well, and were not affected by another god’s influence.