In Greek mythology, Atropos is the Fate responsible for cutting the thread of life.
Atropos was one of the three Moirai, or Fates, who governed destiny. Her name is commonly translated as “the inflexible” or “the inevitable,” reflecting her role as the sister who brought each mortal’s allotted life to its end. She was traditionally depicted with shears, ready to sever the thread when a person’s destined time had arrived.
Her sisters performed the earlier stages of the process. Clotho spun the thread of life, while Lachesis measured or allotted its length. Atropos then selected the manner of death and cut the thread, completing the sequence. The mythic image is why “cutting the thread” remains a familiar metaphor for death.
A common mix-up is confusing Atropos with Lachesis, since both deal with the length and limits of life. Atropos is specifically the cutter. In Roman mythology, her counterpart was Morta, one of the three Parcae.