ABSTRACT
The concept of the Goddess is central to this study, for the way Fortuna has been conceived over the centuries has changed according to need or preference. Her subject is complex and obscure, partly because she did not occupy one clear-cut niche in the Roman pantheon: she was not an indigenous deity but was, rather, absorbed from outlying areas soon after Rome was established. Yet from the position of outsider she grew to play a central part in the thinking and customs of the Romans and was worshipped in several aspects, as separate goddesses. I shall begin by recapping the prevalent opinions, and then focus more specifically on those customs that I hope might help clarify how Fors (Chance) Fortuna was thought of in Rome specifically during the later Republican period.
