In Roman mythology, the goddess of fortune and fate is?

In Roman mythology, the goddess of fortune and fate is Fortuna. She represented luck, chance, prosperity, and the unpredictable turns of human life, meaning that her influence could bring either good fortune or misfortune.

Fortuna was often shown with symbols of changing circumstances. Her wheel represented the rise and fall of fortune, while a cornucopia symbolized abundance. Artists also associated her with a ship's rudder, suggesting that she guided the direction of destiny, and sometimes portrayed her as veiled or blind.

Fortuna had many titles and forms in Roman religion, including Fortuna Primigenia, connected with firstborn children, and Fortuna Redux, associated with safe return. Her Greek counterpart was Tyche, but Tyche is not the standard Roman answer to this question.

Her influence continued long after antiquity. The medieval and Renaissance idea of the “Wheel of Fortune” drew heavily on Fortuna, and the concept remains visible in phrases such as “fortune favors the bold.”