Statuette of the Tyche of Antioch
2nd century A.D.
Slightly after 300 B.C. the Greek sculptor Eutychides created a colossal statue of Tyche, the goddess of fortune, for the newly founded city of Antioch. Eutychides' statue had a tremendous impact and was copied by artists in a variety of scales and materials for the next 500 years.
This Roman bronze statuette is one of these copies made in the A.D. 100s. The goddess sits on a rock leaning forward, bracing herself on her left arm. Her now-missing right hand held a sheaf of grain, a symbol of prosperity. Wrapped in long garments, she wears a crown in the form of city walls. A small, separately cast figure personifying the Orontes River once swam at her feet.
In the political and social upheaval of the Hellenistic period, Tyche gained new importance on both the public and personal levels because she represented stability and prosperity. This led to an explosion of images of Tyche lasting through the Roman period. Although the Tyche of Antioch was specific to that city, it also became an archetypical image. Private individuals often kept small-scale images of Tyche, such as this one, as magical and protective good-luck charms.
This Roman bronze statuette is one of these copies made in the A.D. 100s. The goddess sits on a rock leaning forward, bracing herself on her left arm. Her now-missing right hand held a sheaf of grain, a symbol of prosperity. Wrapped in long garments, she wears a crown in the form of city walls. A small, separately cast figure personifying the Orontes River once swam at her feet.
In the political and social upheaval of the Hellenistic period, Tyche gained new importance on both the public and personal levels because she represented stability and prosperity. This led to an explosion of images of Tyche lasting through the Roman period. Although the Tyche of Antioch was specific to that city, it also became an archetypical image. Private individuals often kept small-scale images of Tyche, such as this one, as magical and protective good-luck charms.
Images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC0)