What was the collective name for the three Fates in Greek mythology?
Answer
The Moirai
The three Fates in Greek mythology were collectively called the Moirai. They were Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, divine figures associated with the allocation and ending of each person’s life.
Clotho was said to spin the thread of life, Lachesis measured or assigned its portion, and Atropos cut the thread. Their names reflect these functions: Clotho is linked with spinning, Lachesis with allotment, and Atropos with the one who cannot be turned.
The Moirai represented a powerful idea of destiny in Greek thought. Even Zeus is sometimes shown as respecting or consulting fate, although ancient sources are not completely consistent about whether the Fates stood above all gods or operated as expressions of divine order.
The Moirai are often confused with the Roman Parcae, who fulfill a closely related role. They are also different from the Erinyes, the avenging spirits, and the Charites, the goddesses of beauty, grace, and celebration.