Kitap 3
16
But Varro says l. c. that the early Romans did not regard such births as unnatural rarities, but they did believe that a woman was delivered according to nature in the ninth or tenth month, and in no others, and that for this reason they gave to the three Fates names derived from bringing forth, and from the ninth and tenth months. For Parca, says he, is derived from partuis with the change of one letter, and likewise Nona and Decima from the period of timely delivery. These are the Roman names of the Fates. The Greek Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos were adopted with the rest of the Greek mythology. But Caesellius Vindex in his Ancient Readings says: ' The names of the Fates are three: Nona, Decuma, Morta; and he quotes this verse from the Odyssey of Livius, the earliest of our poets, Fr. 12, Bährens. When will the day be present that Morta has predicted? But Caesellius, though a man not without learning, took Morta as a name, when he ought to have taken it as equivalent to Mocra. i.e. the Greek Moi=ra, Fate.
