archaicwonder:Roman Gold ‘Fortune Favors The Brave’ Brooch, - 4th Century ADA gold crossbow brooch w
archaicwonder:Roman Gold ‘Fortune Favors The Brave’ Brooch, - 4th Century ADA gold crossbow brooch with hollow hexagonal-section crossbar, three onion-shaped bulbs, openwork scrolled plaques flanking the deep triangular-section bow, rectangular footplate with openwork scooped edges; hinged pin and D-section catchplate to the reverse; with possibly a later inscription to the bow in seriffed capitals ‘FORTIBVS / FORTVNA FAV’ (for Fortuna favet fortibus 'Fortune favors the brave’). For the Greeks and Romans fortune was more than just a concept and she was imagined as a goddess that you needed to keep on your side in case she turned against you. In Greece she was called Tyche and was believed to be the protector of cities across the Mediterranean, most famously depicted in the statue of the Tyche of Antioch which became the model for all other Greek cities. As well as affecting the fortune of entire cities the goddess also watched over individuals and images of her were popular in the shrines each household usually had. The Roman Fortuna was originally a fertility deity and due to contact with the Greeks she eventually took on the roles of the Greek goddess. At her sanctuary in Praeneste, a short distance from Rome, she was worshipped in a temple built on the model of the great Hellenistic royal palaces, where her primary role was the protector of newborn children. She is commonly depicted standing and holding a cornucopia, representing the abundance of good luck she could bring, and a rudder with which she could steer the course of an individuals life. She was commonly associated with the Imperial family and she was prayed to for the continued prosperity of the Emperor, and thus of the Empire as a whole. -- source link