When the Roman Empire stretched its frontiers, so did many of their deities. The Romans believed that these little moments of fate and decisions with fortune could influence life to a great extent. Fortuna Brevis was the representation of the goddess for quick luck that did not last.It is a dangerous or critical fortune, so the Romans asked for Fortuna Dubia to stay away from their lives. Fortuna Dubia was the representation of the goddess for the luck that also brings consequences.The Farmers prayed to this goddess to have her favor and have abundance in their harvests. Fortuna Annonaria was the representation of the goddess for the farmers and the prosperity of the crops. Women adored and worshipped the goddess to have her favor and get pregnant. Fortuna Virilis was the representation of the goddess for fertility.Those who suffered the powers of Fortuna Mala were cursed with misfortunes. Fortuna mala was the representation of the goddess for bad fortune.The Different Forms of Fortunaįortuna had a different identity in each of the main areas that she presided over. Because she couldn’t see who was receiving the fortune, some had better fortune than others by chance. Being blind carried the idea of giving luck to people without bias or prejudice, much like Lady Justice. Some portrayals of Fortuna showed her as a blind woman. Due to the instability of standing on a ball, this idea symbolizes the uncertainty of fortune: it can go either way. This is similar to how Abundantia is typically depicted – holding a cornucopia with fruits or coins spilling out of its end.įortuna also appears with a rudder to represent her control over destiny, and sometimes is depicted standing on a ball. In many of her depictions, Fortuna appears bearing a cornucopia to symbolize abundance. The Romans adored Fortuna as a personal goddess, the giver of abundance, and a goddess of the State and the fate of the entire Roman Empire. Apart from these worship centers, Fortuna had several other temples throughout the Roman Empire. Since the goddess had many forms and many associations, the Romans had specific prayers and epithets for the type of luck they needed. In these cities, people worshipped Fortuna in many regards. The principal worship centers of Fortuna were Antium and Praenestre. Her role in Roman Culture became stronger as people prayed for her favor in many scenarios of their lives. The Romans were interested in gambling, so Fortuna became the goddess of gambling too. People also regarded her as an oracle or a deity who could tell the future. In this sense, Fortuna was the very personification of fortune. They believed that chance could give you plenty of things as well as take them away. The Romans did not think of Fortuna as entirely good or bad, since fortune could go either way. These traits also extended to childbearing Fortuna influenced the fertility of mothers and the birth of babies. Fortuna was in charge of providing fertility to the land and giving prosperous and abundant harvests. Her change of role might have appeared with the Romanization of the goddess Tyche.īelow is a list of the editor’s top picks featuring the statue of Fortuna goddess.įortuna was associated with agriculture, and many farmers worshipped her to receive her favor. At some point, she became the goddess of chance, luck, and fate. According to other sources, it’s possible that even preceded the Romans.įortuna was initially a farming goddess who had associations with the prosperity and fertility of the crops and the harvest. However, some sources believe that Fortuna might have been present in Italy prior to Greek influence and possibly since the beginning of the Roman Empire. In the Romanization of the Greek myths, Fortuna became associated with the Greek goddess Tyche. Who Was Fortuna?Īccording to some accounts, Fortuna was the firstborn of the god Jupiter. She’s often associated with Abundantia, the goddess of prosperity, and the two were sometimes depicted in similar ways. She was sometimes perceived as the personification of luck and a figure who dealt out fortune without bias or discrimination. In Roman mythology, Fortuna was the goddess of fate, fortune and luck.
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