tyche

Tyche is the Greek goddess of fortune, chance, and the fate of cities and individuals. The name derives from the Greek tykhē meaning fortune or luck. In ancient Greek religion, Tyche personified the turning points of life and the prosperity or misfortune of communities. She was especially associated with urban life; many poleis dedicated statues to their Tyche, and some minted coins bearing her image. Notable worship was centered in Hellenistic cities such as Antioch and Alexandria, where she was regarded as the guardian of the urban community.

Iconography typically shows Tyche as a youthful woman wearing a mural crown representing city walls and holding a rudder or scepter to symbolize steering fortune, often accompanied by a cornucopia to signify abundance. In some depictions she is shown with a globe or ball representing the world or fate.

Worship was civic and local, with offerings and festivals celebrating the city’s prosperity and safety. After the Roman conquest, Tyche was often equated with Fortuna in syncretic cults and literary usage, reflecting a broader Mediterranean concept of civic luck.

In late Greek and Roman literature, Tyche became a general concept of fortune or chance, a force that may favor or thwart human plans. The term continues in modern discourse as a way to discuss luck and probabilistic outcomes, and appears in cultural, philosophical, and religious contexts as a symbolic figure of fortune.