In Greek mythology, Atropos (pronounced /ˈætɹəˌpɑs/) (from Greek Άτροπος, "without turn") was one of the three Moerae, Goddesses of fate and destiny. Her Roman equivalent was Morta. Atropos was the oldest of the Three Fates, and was known as the "inflexible" or "inevitable." It was Atropos who chose the mechanism of death and ended the life of each mortal by cutting their thread with her "abhorred shears." She worked along with her sisters Clotho, who spun the thread, and Lachesis, who measured the length. Her origin, along with the other two fates, is uncertain, although some called them the daughters of the night. It is clear, however, that at a certain period they ceased to be only concerned with death and also became those powers who decided what may happen to individuals. Although Zeus was the chief Greek god and their father, he was still subject to the decisions of the Fates, and thus the executor of destiny rather than its source. According to Hesiod's Theogony, Atropos and her sisters (Clotho and Lachesis) were the daughters of Nyx (Night).

Time in religion and mythology Major subjects Time — Cosmology · Religion · Mythology — Eternity · Arguments for eternity · Immortality Destiny and fate · Predestination · Religious predestination · Prophecy · Oracle · Divination · Eschatology Time Portal Time and fate deities of antiquity Egyptian — Hemsut · Huh Ancient Near East — Ashima · Ishtar · Mamitu · Mammetun · Manah · Manu the Great · Meni Greek — The Fates: Moirae — Atropos · Clotho · Lachesis Ananke · Geras · Horae · Khronos · Tyche Roman — The Fates: Parcae — Decima · Morta · Nona Camenae: Antevorte/Porrima · Carmenta · Egeria · Postverta Aeternitas · Anna Perenna · Chronos · Fortuna · Vertumnus Etruscan — Nortia · Tinia Norse — Fates: Dís, Norns — Skuld · Verdandi · Wyrd Bavarian — Fates: Beten Baltic — Dalia · Lauma Polish — Sudz Romanian — Fates: Ursitoare Other European — Matres · Father Time Philippine — Kan-Laon Hinduism Kālī · Mahakali · Mahākāla (Shiva) · Kāla (time) Hindu calendar · Yuga Buddhism Wheel of time · Kalachakra · Maitreya Judaism Ancient of Days · Ein Sof (Kabbalah) Hebrew calendar · Missing years · Jewish holidays · Passover · Shabbat Christianity Gregorian calendar · Liturgical year · Sabbath in Christianity Easter · Computus · Moveable feast · Easter controversy · Quartodecimanism · Reform of the date of Easter Islam Islamic calendar · Muslim holidays · Predestination in Islam Other traditions Dreamtime / The Dreaming · Oracle bone · Maya calendar Related topics Days of the week

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Atropos". Image Credit.

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