Alexandria UniversityHellenistic Center for Studies

The Cult of TychebyMohamed Elattar

ContentsPagePreface4

Tyche in Classical Greece5

Tyche in Literature6

The Rise of Tyche in Hellenistic Time8

Alexander the Great and Tyche9

The Cult of Tyche10

Tyche in Alexandria13

Conclusion14

(Tykhe, seated upon the back of a swimming man, the god of the Orontes River. She wears a turret crown, representing the defensive walls of a city, and holds a sheaf of wheat Vatican Museum)

Preface

The cult of Tyche was one of the cults that spread greatly in the Hellenistic and Roman time. Although goddess Tyche was not one of the Olympian gods nor had any important significance in the early classical time, during the Hellenistic age, the cult of Tyche was one of the major cults. It was practiced not only in Athens but in all other Greek cities as well as the new Hellenistic kingdoms founded by Alexander the great's successors.1P.,Green,Alexander to Actium: The Historical Evolution of the Hellenistic, p.74

The statue of Tyche created by Eutychides became one of the most influential images of Hellenistic age. It represents Tyche as protector of Antioch as well as the city. It shows the obsession with Fortune, a concept which dominated that period.2G., Shipley, The Greek World After Alexander: 323-30 BC, p.173

Tyche was recognized as a deity that controlled the fates of not only individuals but kings and cities as well.3P., Broucke, "Tyche and the Fortune Cities in the Greek and Roman World", p.35

In my research I intend to track such gradual evolution that happened on the worship of Tyche and how the personification of chance from an unpredictable element of life to a goddess named Tyche took place. Starting from the early mentioning by Hesiod and Homer until the spread of the cult and how it became important for not only individuals but rulers and cities as well. A focus on the reasons that lead to the spread of the cult as well as the different representations of Tyche will be made.

The Problem I faced in gathering information is finding earlier mentioning of Tyche before the 5th century. Around that time, Tyche was not recognized as a separate deity and any worship or dedication were shared with other deities as well such as Athena, Artemis, etc. Tyche in Classical Greece

From early Classical Greek time, Ancient Greeks were familiar with fate or chance as an element of life that no one has control upon. A man can have a glorious life and out of the sudden, everything turns upside down and his glorious happy life turns into a miserable one.4S., Matheson, "The Goddess Tyche", p.19

Yet, in such early time, there was no particular deity responsible for such. Lives of ordinary men, kings and cities changed by chance. It was a gradual change that took place throughout time which turned chance from an element of life where no one has control into a goddess that was responsible for it. Tyche, whose name is the word for "fortune" in Greek.5J., Mikalson, Religion in Hellenistic Athens, p.45

By paying attention and offering sacrifices to that goddess, men can avoid the misfortune and the vicissitudes of chance. The name of that goddess was Tyche and during Hellenistic period the worship of Tyche spread in all Hellenistic cities. Tyche was firmly recognized as a pervasive entity who controlled the destinies of cities, kingdoms and their rulers.6P., Broucke, p.36

Tyche appears as personified force in association either with the power of fate or with chance. To the great historian Thucydides, Tyche appears as a representation of chance. in the sense of an inexplicable situation that sometimes occurs, regardless of foresight or planning, and that provides human beings with a convenient excuse to blame something other than themselves.7E., Baynham, Alexander the Great: the Unique History of Quintus Curtius, p.104

Tyche in LiteratureTyche has a long tradition in Greco-Roman literature and religious beliefs. The evidence for early ideas on Tyche in literature is relatively limited and there was no mentioning of Tyche being the responsible goddess for fate. Hesiod refers to Tyche as one of the offspring of Tethys and Oceanus and Tyche appears in two of the Homeric Hymns.8S., Matheson, p.20

The personification of Tyche as a deity that is responsible for fate took place in the 4th century B.C. The earliest literary source that mentioned Tyche as a goddess for protection and control of fate was Pindar in his Olympian Ode Ergoteles of Himera, he acknowledges Tyche's power over both the sea and the lives of men.9Ibid, p.21

Pindar expresses the idea of Tyche as protectress of the city of Himera. Such idea was carried on in Hellenistic time.10C., Littleton, Gods, Goddesses, And Mythology, Volume 2, p.1392

Pausanias indicated that Pindar placed Tyche among the fates, where she is described as being "more powerful than her sisters" on a few occasions in Greek tragedy, she appears as personified force in association either with the power of fate or with chance.11E., Baynham, p.105

To Thucydides, Tyche appears to represent chance, in the sense of an inexplicable situation that sometimes occurs, regardless of foresight or planning and that provides human being with a convenient excuse to blame something other than themselves.12P., Broucke, p.35

By the late fourth century, Menander and other poets of Comedy, acknowledged Tyche's power and her divinity. In his The Shield, Menander brings Tyche on stage, she reveals herself as knowing the future and the one who created the situation of the play.13C., Littleton, p.1392

In 4th B.C, aspects of Tyche assumed an integral part in philosophy. Plato discussed the principle of chance in the tenth book of Laws, |Epicurus elaborated Tyche in physics and the peripatetic school brought it into ethics. Moreover, the existence of Plutarch's moral essay, indicates its popularity.14E., Baynham, p.105

According to Robert Graves, Tyche is a daughter of Zeus, to whom he has given power to decide what the fortune of this or that mortal shall be. On some she heaps gifts from a horn of plenty, others she deprives of all that they have. Tyche is altogether irresponsible in her awards, and runs about juggling with a ball to exemplify the uncertainty of chance: sometimes up, sometimes down.15R., Graves, p.125

Tykhe, the goddess of fortune, adorned with a turret-crown and holding the infant Ploutos (Wealth) and a cornucopia (horn of plenty) Istanbul-museumThe Rise of Tyche in Hellenistic Timein Hellenistic time, Tyche achieved a greater prominence. Her cult spread all over and she was highly recognized as a deity that controlled the fates of not only individuals but kings and cities as well.16G., Shipley, p.174

There were some reasons that lead to the domination of the cult of Tyche.

After the Battle of Chaironeia in 338 B.C. the city states on Greek mainland lost their independence to the Macedonians. Such decline of the city state system which the Greeks were accustomed to for centuries, had religious and political impacts on Greek citizens. They started losing faith in the Olympian gods. Their belief and piety to the Olympian gods did not prevent them from being conquered by the Macedonians. Therefore, they lost faith in such helpless gods and goddesses and started seeking an alternative solution.17J., Mikalson, p.63

Among these new worships that spread as a a result was the cult of Tyche. Tyche controlled chance in an unpredictable way. A man can have a wonderful life and out of the sudden, he would get to suffer. A city may be glorious and prosperous and out of the sudden, it would get destroyed or conquered. Thus; by worshiping Tyche, citizens and rulers were hoping to avoid the vicissitudes of chance.18S., Matheson, p.20

As for the political impact, the loss of their external political freedom inevitably drove men inward on themselves. a remarkable number of those were on a search for freedom of the soul and tranquility. if they could not have true political freedom, at least they would achieve inner peace. such situation lead to the obsession with Tyche. chance, fortune.19P., Broucke, p.38

Alexander the Great and Tyche

Alexander the great conquests enlarged the Greek world, creating new horizons. non Greeks became part of everyday experience. Within this new Hellenistic world, fate came to occupy a crucial position. The personification of Tyche fate, destiny or fortune became an essential element in Greek culture.20E., Baynham, p.11

For the Hellenistic world, Alexander the great was the epitome of how an individual's Tyche was so great that he was virtually invincible, he managed to conquer the whole known world with Tyche on his side, then out of the sudden, he died and left such huge empire to his generals.21Idem, p.109

These generals started fighting among themselves, each trying to possess as much as he can of that empire.

The rise and the decline of some of these generals provided a vivid example of how Tyche can favour a general and then out of the sudden abandons him. This strengthened the fact that individuals as well as kings needed to pay attention to the worship of Tyche.22J., Mikalson, p.45

Tyche was the goddess of chance by which things happened beyond the control and plans of men. By offering something to the goddess or by wearing her image, men hoped ensuring a good fortune. Tykhe was the goddess of fortune, chance, providence and fate.23M., Cohen, p.87

She was usually honoured in a more favourable light as Eutykhia, goddess of good fortune, luck, success and prosperity. Therefore, most devoted cult was dedicated to Agathe Tyche, "Good fortune" in an attempt to counter its good nature.24Idem, p.88

Tyche's enormous and widespread popularity during Hellenistic and Roman times was caused by the seemingly irrational twists of fate to which individuals, communities and entire lands were subjected.25P., Green, p.53

In his treaties on Tyche, Demetrius of phaleron, reflecting on the eclipse of the Greek states by Macedon, and perhaps also on the vicissitudes of his own career wrote "Fortune does not correspond to our mode of life... and regularly demonstrates its power by confounding our expectations" virtue in other words, was no guarantee of prosperity.26J., Mikalson, p.62

The Cult of Tycheby the 4th century, the cult of Tyche was established in Athens and many other cities of the Greek world. clear evidence of the existence of a cult of Tyche and thus of her divinity. Some of these inscriptions the offerings are made jointly to Tyche and other gods, (Athena, Artemis, etc)27P., Broucke, p.39

The most influential image of Tyche, was the statue created by Eutychides of Sikyon in the foundation of Antioch. It became one of the most influential images of Hellenistic age.28G., Cohen, p.87

It represents Tyche as protector of Antioch as well as the city. It shows the obsession with Fortune, a concept which dominated that period. Seleucus I established this city which grew rapidly and ultimately became one of the four largest cities of the Roman Empire.29Ibid, p.88

Tyche sits on a rock representing mount Silpios, below her feet is the personification of the Orontes River, depicted as the upper body of a naked swimming male figure. She herself is cross legged, dressed in an all concealing mantle and wearing the familiar mural crown.30P., Green, p.163

Tykhe was represented with different attributes. Holding a rudder, she was conceived as the divinity guiding and conducting the affairs of the world, and in this respect she was called one of the Moirai (Fates); with a ball she represented the varying unsteadiness of fortune--unsteady and capable of rolling in any direction; with Ploutos or the horn of Amalthea, she was the symbol of the plentiful gifts of fortune. Nemesis (Fair Distribution) was cautiously regarded as the downside of Tykhe, one who provided a check on extravagant favours conferred by fortune. The pair were often depicted as companions in Greek vase painting.31J., Mikalson, p.45

Tykhe was widely worshipped as the guardian spirit of a city's good fortune. As such she was usually depicted crowned with the turrets of a city-wall and holding a cornucopia (horn of plenty) brimming with the fruits of the earth.32S., Matheson, p.25

In most of her representations she is barely distinguishable from Demeter: the crown, cornucopia and Ploutos-child being common attributes of both goddesses. Indeed Tykhe (Lady Fortune) often appears to be merely an aspect of the goddess Demeter.33P., Broucke, p.40

Tykhe, the goddess of fortune, adorned with a turret-crown and a cornucopia -horn of plenty- brimming with fruit. Berlin Museum

Tyche in AlexandriaIn cities founded by Alexander the Great, Tyche assumed a very high and religious role. Although very little has been recovered archaeologically from Alexandria, ancient sources indicates that the city's Tyche was associated with Isis and worshipped in a temple founded by Alexander himself.34P., Broucke, p.38

Tyche of Alexandria appear on a late Republican silver denarius struck by M. Aemilius Lepidus which demonstrates her ongoing symbolic significance. Even when the Roman took control of Ptolemaic Egypt, and Alexandria was reduced to a provincial capital, Tyche continued to appear in Roman imperial times.35Idem, p.39

Conclusion

Tyche had a long tradition in Greek and Hellenistic literature and religious beliefs. It would need a far more detailed study to trace its development. Although in the beginning, chance was merely an element of life that no one has control upon, later that element was personified as Tyche. Tyche was recognized as the goddess who controlled the destinies of cities, kingdoms, rulers as well as individuals. Alexander the Great was the role model of how an individual's tyche was so great that he managed to conquer the whole world and at the prime of his success, he passed away and his huge empire was divided among his generals. These generals started fighting each other and each had his own ups and downs according to Tyche. There are various sides to Tyche, the good and the bad. In order to avoid the bad, rituals and sacrifices were offered to Agathe Tyche.

Bibliography

Baynham, E, Alexander the Great: the Unique History of Quintus Curtius, Michigan, 1998

Broucke, P "Tyche and the Fortune Cities in the Greek and Roman World", Yale University Art Gallery Bulletin, An Obsession with Fortune: Tyche in Greek and Roman Art (1994) pp.34-49

Cohen, G, The Hellenistic Settlements in Syria, the Red Sea Basin, and North Africa, London, 2006

Graves, R., Greek Myths I , London, 1960

Green, P, Alexander to Actium: The Historical Evolution of the Hellenistic Age, California, 1990

Littleton, C, Gods, Goddesses, And Mythology, Volume 10, New York, 2005

Matheson, S, "The Goddess Tyche", Yale University Art Gallery Bulletin, An Obsession with Fortune: Tyche in Greek and Roman Art (1994) pp.18-33

Mikalson, J, Religion in Hellenistic Athens, California, 1998

Shipley, G, The Greek World After Alexander: 323-30 BC, Oxon, 2000