Monday, 22 July 2019

TYCHE ~ THE GREEK GODDESS OF LUCK, CHANCE,AND FORTUNE


Tyche is the Goddess of fortune, chance, providence and fate .
​In the earliest sources, and as written down by Hesiod, Tyche is named as an Oceanid, one of the 3,000 daughters of Oceanus and Tethys. 

As a Bringer of fortune to man, Tyche is closely associated with the Moirai, the three Goddesses who plot out the lives of men from birth to death. 
​Tyche is found in the company of Nemesis, the Greek Goddess of Retribution. These two together ensure that there is balance in the cosmos and within individual people as well. 

A name given to Tyche is 'Eutychia', when the fortune given by the Goddess is good. 
 She is one of the companions of Persephone, and used to spend time in nature with the daughter of Demeter. Persephone was abducted by Hades as She picked flowers, although we can easily assume that Tyche was not present with Persephone on that day- the attendants who were present and couldn't help Persephone, were turned into the Sirens by grief-stricken  Demeter. ​

​Tyche also appears in Aesop’s Fables, where Aesop showed that mortals are slow to give praise for good fortune, but are quick to blame Tyche when bad fortune comes their way. 

There is also an Aesop fable titled 'Tyche and the Two Roads', which is also named 'Prometheus and the Two Roads', for Tyche and Prometheus are used interchangeably. 
Zeus requires Tyche to show man two roads, one which leads to freedom and one which leads to slavery. The road to freedom starts off rough, and is difficult to traverse, but after overcoming many obstacles, becomes an easy and pleasant road. The road to slavery though, begins pleasantly enough, but it soon changes to a road which is impassable. 

EDITED FROM: Greek Legends and Myths

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