They decided that the deity who should confer the most valuable gift on the city should give his name to it. […] The art of spinning indicates that patience and perseverance should be evinced in his works; and the ornaments of tapestry show that he should endeavour to embellish them. […] In order to get rid of their importunities, she at length declared that whoever would surpass her in running, should be her husband; but that whoever would be beaten by her, should be put to death. […] Clotho declared that he should excel in feats of valour; Lachesis, that he should be most active; and Atropos, snatching a brand from the fire, said he should live as long as it continued unconsumed. […] His father was informed by an oracle that he should one day be killed by his son.

To decide who should have the bride, Hercules and Achelous had recourse to a wrestling bout, the fame of which extends through all the intervening centuries. […] She was a very swift runner, and, to get rid of her admirers, she promised to marry any one of them who should outstrip her in a race, but that all who were defeated should be slain. […] The goddess loved Tithonus, and begged the gods to grant him immortality, but forgot to ask at the same time that he should not get old and decrepit. […] On the return of Jason, Medea, the sorceress, undertook to restore Pelias to youth, but required that the body should first be cut up and put in a caldron of boiling water. […] At the request of his wife the gods granted him immortality, but she forgot at the same time to ask that he should be granted perpetual youth.