Statue of Tykhe (Fortuna) 2nd century AD

Statue of Tykhe (Fortuna) 2nd century AD Travel photography Family-friendly: true
This statue was found, broken in pieces, in excavations conducted at Perge in 1954 and 1955. It was carved froma fine grained white marble. The base and lower part of the statue were not found. The Goddess Tyche is depicted as a tall young woman. She wear on her head a high cap on which are carved the walls of the city of Perge. Her curly hair is parted into two and twisted at the back, a part of her hair falls onto her shoulders. She wears a chiton and a himation.
Tykhe is one of Okeanos' (Ocean) daughters. She is the goddess of fate, luck and unexpected success. Tykhe is not mentioned in Homer's legends. During the Hellenistic Period, Tykhe was a goddess that caused all other gods to be forgotten and she was much respected. She didn't lose her importance until the Romen Period. Tykhe doesn't have a legend attached to her name, over time she was identified with other goddesses such as Isis and finally, she became a mixed goddess called "Isitykhe". Each city state had its own Tykhe. This city Tykhe was depicted with a walled crown on her head and was sometimes depicted as being blind. Fortuna, the goddess of luck, was identified with the Greek Tykhe after the 1st century BC.
The statue of the goddess was depicted with the horn of plenty in her hand, with the rudder of a ship or with wings, standing upon a rolling sphere. The Greeks used the name of this goddess in the expression "Agathe Tykhe" (with good Tykhe), to wish someone "good luck".