In Roman mythology, Fortuna was associated with chance and fickle fortune, with sudden wealth, and with dramatic twists of fate that could upend a life overnight. Her image outlasted the empire itself and continues to live on in everyday language, in everyday phrases about “luck” and “a lucky break,” in the symbol of the Wheel of Fortune, and in popular culture, where she is known as “Lady Luck.” Few ancient deities became so deeply embedded in the European imagination.
How the goddess’s role changed
Originally, Fortuna was a modest Italic fertility deity. She was venerated by farmers, who associated her with abundant harvests and prosperity on the farm. In this early guise, she differed little from dozens of other agrarian spirits.
The turning point came when the Romans equated her with the Greek Tyche, the goddess of chance and fate. Fortuna inherited from Tyche a dual nature: she could give or take away, raise up or cast down. It was precisely this duality that turned her from a patroness of granaries into one of the most revered figures of the Roman pantheon.
Where Fortuna was worshipped—and how she was celebrated—in Italy
The cult of Fortuna was widespread throughout Italy, and the largest sanctuaries were located in Praeneste and Antium, where there were oracles that foretold the future in her name. Her feast day was June 11, and the grand festival of Fors Fortuna was celebrated on June 24. During the festivities, the residents of Rome sent offerings by boat down the Tiber to her sanctuaries.
Altars to Fortuna also stood in public baths, where Romans liked to play dice. Patronage of gambling was a natural extension of her “portfolio”: where a wager depends on chance, people could not do without the goddess of luck.
Fortuna’s symbols: the cornucopia, the rudder, and the wheel
Roman sculptors and artists endowed Fortuna with a set of recognizable attributes, each of which carried its own meaning:
- The cornucopia symbolized material prosperity and the generosity of fate.
- The rudder meant control over the course of human life.
- A sphere (or ball) under her feet was a reminder of the precariousness of luck, which can slip away at any moment.
- The Wheel of Fortune became the best-known visual motif of change: those at the top will inevitably end up at the bottom.
Blind luck and a fickle nature
Roman authors often described Fortuna as a capricious and almost hostile force. In some depictions she wears a blindfold, which underscores the idea of “blind luck”: favor depends neither on merit nor on social standing.
“Almost all Roman authors describe her as blind, inconstant, unjust, and taking pleasure in misfortune” (Anonymous encyclopedic source, 1838).
That is why Fortuna was especially revered by slaves and people of low status. For them, she embodied hope for a sudden turn of fate, for gaining freedom or unexpected wealth.
Fortuna’s aspects, from ‘dubious’ to ‘male’
The Romans distinguished dozens of varieties of luck, and each had its own aspect of the goddess. The three most often mentioned are Fortuna Dubia (dubious luck), Fortuna Brevis (fleeting luck), and Fortuna Mala (bad luck). Women honored Fortuna Virilis, and farmers appealed to Fortuna Annonaria, the patroness of the grain supply. In total there were several dozen variants, which reflected the Romans’ desire to systematize virtually every shade of chance.
In the ancient world, there was a practice of syncretism, that is, the fusion of cults from different traditions. Thus arose the image of Isis/Fortuna, which united the Egyptian and Roman goddesses. Such a device was not uncommon: it is enough to recall the creation of the god Serapis from the traits of Apis and Osiris.
How different authors described Fortuna, from ancient poets to Machiavelli
The image of the goddess of luck attracted writers for centuries. Ovid addressed her in verse, and Shakespeare worked the theme of fortune into his plays. However, the most influential interpretation was offered by Machiavelli in Chapter 25 of The Prince.
“I believe it may be taken as true: fortune controls half of our actions, but allows us to govern the other half, or perhaps a little less, ourselves” (Niccolò Machiavelli, “The Prince,” Chapter 25, 1997 edition [1532]). This thesis shifted the discussion of blind chance to personal responsibility and became an important contribution to political thought.
A little later, the connection of the goddess Fortuna with gambling, luck, and the unpredictability of fate became a classic motif of European literature. For example, Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales compares Fortuna’s fickleness to a game of dice. Giacomo Casanova wrote a great deal in his memoirs about gambling and more than once mentioned the name of the goddess. In particular, he said that she favors bold players.
How the cult of luck crossed the English Channel
Along with the legions and the administration, Roman cults were brought to Britain, where they were often mixed with local beliefs. For the army, luck was not an abstraction but a practical necessity, and therefore Fortuna was often venerated together with Bonus Eventus (“good outcome”), although in inscriptions from Britain he appears only twice: in Carleon and York.
Traces of the cult are scattered across the entire island: dedications and altars have been found along Hadrian’s Wall (Vindolanda, Chesters, Birdoswald), as well as in Chester, Bowes, Lanchester, and Manchester. The northernmost point of the finds is located at Castlecary in Scotland. In Binchester, archaeologists found an altar to Fortuna at the bathhouse, which once again confirms the connection of her cult with places of leisure and play.
British clothing on a Roman goddess
A statue from Birdoswald presented a curious detail: Fortuna is depicted in local dress rather than Roman style. There are two interpretations: either it was made by a local craftsman unfamiliar with Roman fashion, or the image was deliberately adapted to the tastes of the province’s population. In any case, this suggests that the cult took root and became part of local life.
Lady Luck and the Wheel of Fortune after the fall of Rome
The image of Fortuna became more firmly established in European culture than most Roman deities. She became “Lady Luck” in everyday speech, and the Wheel of Fortune entered the Tarot deck as one of the Major Arcana. The formula “Fortune favours the brave” is still used today: for example, it is the official motto of several graduating classes at the U.S. Naval Academy.
In our high-tech age, nothing has changed
Modern players also pin their hopes on Fortuna’s favor when they play at online casinos. And it does not matter whether they use sign up no deposit bonuses casino for their bets or deposited funds. Many of them, one way or another, call on this mythical figure for help in order to feel the joy of victory. The name of the capricious goddess has long been known beyond Italy, and now it is equally well known in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and even Mexico.
Of course, today few people believe in Fortuna precisely as a goddess, but her image has been preserved in gambling culture in the form of superstitions. For example, players who are on a winning streak say, “Fortuna is on my side today.” Game developers also pay her tribute – there are many slots called Fortuna.
