Gods are considered to possess the ultimate power: they may smite, kill, bless, and curse whomever they please. In most mythologies across the globe, gods are seen as “higher up” – as larger beings – in which nothing seems to be above them.

In the hierarchy present in Greek Mythology, gods appear at the very top, followed by demigods, then heroes, kings, royals, those of superb talents, warriors, and finally commoners. It takes a certain amount of reading to realize that there’s a group of people belonging entirely outside of this ranking. They are able to control the thread of time and twist it to follow their exact words. They can decide who dies, who lives, who becomes a hero, and at whose expense. Their speeches are the laws of the future, inescapable and irreversible. These responsibilities give them an elemental role far beyond the scope of any deity’s powers. This group is split into two: the Fates and the Oracles.

 The Fates, or the Morai, were a group of three women, each representing a step in the cycle – or, as the Greeks believed, the thread – of life: Clotho, the youngest sister, would spin the string, creating a new life; Lachesis would apportion it, measure its length, and determine its highs and lows by twisting it. Once the lifespan had been determined, and the time had come for the mortal associated with it to die, Atropos, the final Fate, would use her shears – later recounted as scissors – to cut, and therefore end, a life. Although they did not possess the power to kill deities, the Fates knew the destinies of each individual god, and for that reason were feared by all. 

But even the Fates play a small role compared to the Oracles.

Mortals chosen by gods to relay their messages and deliver prophecies, these women were considered sacred, and were revered by all in Greek Mythology. Perhaps the most famous is the Oracle of Delphi, representing Apollo, who was famous for her ability of predicting the future, and was visited by all who sought her advice. Throughout mythology, one law is made clear: the words of a prophet or an oracle are inescapable, no matter who attempts to avoid them. 

Achilles, perhaps Greece’s most famous warrior, had been predetermined to die in the Trojan War. To avoid this, his mother dressed him up as a woman. This failed, and he was sent to Troy, where, after killing its oldest prince, Hector, Achilles was killed by the latter’s avenging brother with the help of the god Apollo. Achilles, however strong, was mortal. However, the Oracles’ foretellings have the power to reach everyone – even gods – and Titans. 

Cronus, a Titan and, at the time, the king of the heavens, was told that his child would overthrow him. To avoid this, he ate his offspring as they were born, but due to his spouse’s compassion, their youngest son, Zeus, remained in hiding until he was able to rescue his siblings and send his father, as well as those aligned with him, to the deepest part of the Underworld. 

These were two of countless myths explaining the power of a prophecy – others include that of Meleager, a mortal set to die from birth, Cassandra, a priestess captured by the king Agamemmnon whose prophecy – which she herself had predicted, as she had the ability to tell the future – showed both their demises at the hands of his wife, and Oedipus, destined a life of regret, who was born a prince, raised a king, and dead a blinded fugitive. In other words, it didn’t matter the person – god, warrior, royal, mortal, etc – no one was able to dodge their destinies, determined by the Fates, or foretold by the Oracles. No one, not even Zeus.

And yet…

When Zeus and his first fling, Metis, were expecting a child, it was prophesied that “Metis would bear a son who should be the lord of heaven” (Hesiod) – in other words, a son who would dethrone him as he had done to Cronus. In a paternally-inherited trait, Zeus proceeded to swallow his pregnant wife whole in hopes of preventing the birth. This, at first, did not succeed, as Athena emerged from his skull some time later. She grew up to become one of the greatest minds among the gods, representing strategic warfare, and weaving, among other things, and was also frequently associated with wisdom and peace, effectively earning her a place as an Olympian.

Needless to say, with her came dozens of more myths, but as the timeline of Greek Mythology moved forward, one thing remained behind. One thing was missing.

Where was the son?

This revelation highlights a missing piece in the mythology’s history – a new kingdom, a new age, yet to have been told, with a new generation of gods and goddesses perhaps even more powerful than Zeus himself. The Fates have this unknown and unborn god’s string in their hand – when will they begin to spin it? 

The words of Oracles are, as previously stated, the laws of the future.

Prophecies have to be fulfilled.

Achilles, Cronus, Meleager, Oedipus… Zeus.

This is the missing piece – the loophole, the gap – of Greek Mythology.