The goddess Fortuna
The goddess Fortuna
In Roman mythology, Fortuna is the goddess of luck and chance. Originally she seems to have been a goddess of fertility and chilbirth. Later she came to be regarded as the controller of human destiny. According to legend, her actions were unpredictable, and she was usually pictured standing on a ball or wheel, symbolizing her changeable nature. She was also often represented with a blindfold, carrying a cornucopia or holding a rudder. Fortuna had a oracle at Praeneste (now Palestrina), near Rome, and was worshiped at other shrines. The Romans identified her with the Greek goddess Tyche.
