Ate, (in Greek ???) a Greek word for 'ruin, folly, delusion', is the action performed by the hero, usually because of his/her hubris, or great pride, that leads to his/her death or downfall. There is also a goddess by that name (Até) in Greek mythology, a personification of the same.In Homer's Iliad (Book 19) she is called eldest daughter of Zeus with no mother mentioned. On Hera's instigation she used her influence over Zeus so that he swore an oath that on that day a mortal descended from him would be born who would be a great ruler. Hera immediately arranged to delay the birth of Heracles and to bring forth Eurystheus prematurely. In anger Zeus threw Ate down to earth forever, forbidding that she ever return to heaven or to Mt. Olympus. Ate then wandered about, treading on the heads of men rather than on the earth, wreaking havoc on mortals.The Litae ('Prayers') follow after her but Ate is fast and far outruns them.Apollodorus (3.143) claims that when thrown down by Zeus, Ate land
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ate