Atropos in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Atropos

5 passages from 5 ancient authors that tell of Atropos, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Atropos was one of the three Moirai in Greek mythology, goddesses who decided the fate of every human that lived on the earth. Atropos, along with her... For the story in one place, read our article on Atropos.

Hesiod (1)

Hesiod, Shield of Heracles 240–324The shield of Heracles: the besieged city and the city at peace (240-324)A besieged city shows women crying from bronze towers, old men praying outside the gates, and the dusky Fates, Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, fighting over the fallen. Beside it is a city with seven golden gates at peace, with wedding processions, dancing and flute-playing, and then ploughmen, reapers, vintagers, boxers, huntsmen and charioteers racing for a tripod. Ocean flows round the rim with swans and fish, and the son of Zeus mounts his chariot with Iolaus.

Nonnus of Panopolis (1)

Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 12.93–186Book 12: The vine foretold; Atropos comforts DionysosOn the third tablet Autumn reads that the vine is to belong to Dionysos, and she goes off joyfully. Dionysos mourns so deeply that rivers and trees mourn with him. Atropos tells him that Ampelos will live as a delicious drink, and the boy is changed into a vine.

Lucian of Samosata (1)

Lucian of Samosata, The Downward Journey 1–8Charon waits; Hermes arrives with the deadCharon complains to Clotho that Hermes is late and the ferry idle. Hermes arrives with a crowd of shades and a tyrant, Megapenthes, who tried to run away and was caught with the help of the Cynic Cyniscus. Clotho calls over the dead according to the way they died, and Megapenthes begs for time to finish his palace and is told that his cousin Megacles will inherit.

Orpheus (attributed) (1)

Orpheus (attributed), Orphic Hymns 57–61Hymns 57-61: the Terrestrial Hermes, Cupid, the Fates, the Graces, NemesisHermes of the earth is invoked as the god whom Fate set to dwell on the dread path that leads to deepest hell, and Cupid as the pure and lovely source of sweet delight. The Fates are addressed as the daughters of Night and are named Atropos, Lachesis and Clotho. The Graces are called on as the descendants of Jove, with Eunomia, and Nemesis as the almighty queen by whom the deeds of mortal life are seen.

Plato (1)

Plato, Republic 617a–621dBook X: The myth of Er: the spindle of Necessity, the choice of lives and the Plain of OblivionSocrates tells how Er saw the spindle of Necessity, turning on her knees, with its eight whorls of different colours, a Siren on each rim, and the three Fates, Lachesis, Clotho and Atropos, daughters of Necessity, singing with the Sirens of what was, is and will be. A prophet at Lachesis' direction flung lots among the souls and set before them the patterns of lives of all kinds, saying that the blame belongs to the chooser, and God is blameless. Er saw the soul of Orpheus choose a swan, Thamyras a nightingale, Ajax a lion, Agamemnon an eagle, Atalanta an athlete, Epeius a craftswoman and Thersites an ape, and Odysseus, last of all, take the life of a private man free from care. The souls then drank of the river of Forgetfulness on the Plain of Oblivion, and Er was sent back, and Socrates ends that if they believe in the immortality of the soul they will hold to the upward way, pursue justice with wisdom, and fare well both here and in the journey of a thousand years.