Note 731 — Chapter XII · HEATHENDOM.
Reading edition
The Greek Fates are also three, and stand in a very similar position towards the Gods. Zeus himself is not exempt from their power. Prometheus, it is true, will not distinctly assert Zeus to be weaker than the Fates, but he answers very decisively that even Zeus cannot escape his Fate.
Χο. Τίς οὖν ἀνάγκης ἐστὶν οἰακοστρόφος;
Πρ. Μοῖραι τρίμορφαι, μνήμονές τ' Ἐριννύες.
Χο. Τούτων ἄρα Ζεύς ἐστιν ἀσθενέστερος;
Πρ. Οὔκουν ἂν ἐκφύγοι γε τὴν πεπρωμένην.
Æsch. Prom. Vin. 517-520.
The Μοῖραι here are only ministers of a deeper necessity, yet they seem to wield it themselves, and that it is inseparable from justice seems to follow from the venerable goddesses being joined in the task. Plato however distinctly names three Μοῖραι, the daughters of Αναγκη, who spin the life of man: what is more to our purpose is that to each of the three, the past, the present and the future are severally distributed, as to Urðr, Werðandi and Skuld. He says, ἄλλας δὲ καθημένας πέριξ δι’ ἴσου τρεῖς, ἐν θρόνῳ ἑκάστην, θυγατέρας τῆς Ἀνάγκης, Μοίρας, λευχειμονούσας, στέμματα ἐπὶ τῶν κεφαλῶν ἐχούσας, Λάχεσίν τε καὶ Κλωθὼ καὶ Ἄτροπον, ὑμνεῖν πρὸς τὴν τῶν Σειρήνων ἁρμονίαν, Λάχεσιν μὲν τὰ γεγονότα, Κλωθὼ δὲ τὰ ὄντα, Ἄτροπον δὲ τὰ μέλλοντα. The spindle however lies and revolves upon the knees of Ἀνάγκη. De Repub. lib. x. ad fin. The white garments, garlands and throne, as well as the singing, are wanting to our Norns, but the resemblance in other respects is very striking. It deserves notice also that the Weird sisters in Macbeth are three; and even the Odyssey may intend that number,
ἔνθα δ’ ἔπειτα
πείσεται, ἅσσα οἱ αἶσα, κατακλῶθές τε βαρεῖαι.
γεινομένῳ νήσαντο λίνῳ, ὅτε μιν τέκε μήτηρ.
Odyss. vii. 196-198.
It is well known what controversy has arisen as to the real number of Εριννυες intended by Æschylus in his Eumenides.