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fortūna , ae (archaic
I.gen. sing. fortunas, like familias, escas, vias, etc., Naev. ap. Prisc. p. 679 P.), f. lengthened from fors; cf. Nep-tunus, v. Corss. Ausspr. 1, 434, chance, hap, luck, fate, fortune (good or ill; syn.: casus, fors; fatum, providentia).
I. In gen.: “quid est enim aliud fors, quid fortuna, quid casus, quid eventus, nisi cum sic aliquid cecidit, sic evenit, ut vel non cadere atque evenire, vel aliter cadere atque evenire potuerit? quo modo ergo id, quod temere fit caeco casu et volubilitate fortunae, praesentiri et praedici potest?Cic. Div. 2, 6, 15: “si haec habent aliquam talem necessitatem: quid est tandem quod casu fieri aut forte fortuna putemus? Nihil enim est tam contrarium rationi et constantiae quam fortuna: ut mihi ne in deum quidem cadere videatur, ut sciat, quid casu et fortuito futurum sit. Si enim scit, certe illud eveniet: sin certe eveniet, nulla fortuna est: est autem fortuna: rerum igitur fortuitarum nulla praesensio est, etc.,id. ib. 2, 7, 18 sq.: “sed haec fortuna viderit, quoniam ratio non gubernat,id. Att. 14, 11, 1: “vir ad casum fortunamque felix,id. Font. 15 fin.: “si tot sunt in corpore bona, tot extra corpus in casu atque fortuna ... plus fortunam quam consilium valere,id. Tusc. 5, 9, 25; cf.: “(bona) posita non tam in consiliis nostris quam in fortunae temeritate,id. Lael. 6, 20: “adversante fortuna,id. Rep. 2, 16 fin.; id. Mur. 31, 64: “quorum ego causa timidius me fortunae committebam,id. Att. 9, 6, 4: “fortunae rotam pertimescere,id. Pis. 10, 22: secundam fortunam pulcherrime: adversam aeque ferre, Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 5, 6; cf.: “prospera adversave fortuna,Cic. N. D. 3, 37, 89: “spoliatam fortunam conferre cum florente fortuna,id. Pis. 16, 38: “integra fortuna (opp. afflicta),id. Sull. 31 fin.: “florentissima (opp. durior),id. Att. 10, 4, 4: “non praecipua, sed par cum ceteris fortunae condicio,id. Rep. 1, 4: “optima,id. ib. 3, 17 fin.: “rei publicae fortuna fatalis,id. Sest. 7, 17: “belli,Caes. B. C. 2, 6, 1; id. B. G. 1, 36, 3: “se suas civitatisque fortunas ejus fidei permissurum,Caes. B. G. 5, 3 fin. (cf. II. B. 1. fin. infra.).—Prov.: “fortuna miserrima tuta est,Ov. P. 2, 2, 31: “fortuna meliores sequitur,Sall. H. 1, 48, 15 (Dietsch): fortuna cum blanditur, captatum venit, Publ. Syr. 167 (Rib.): fortes fortuna adjuvat; v. fortis, II. A. fin.
B. Personified: Fortuna , the goddess of fate, luck, or fortune, Fortune: He. Respice me. Er. Fortuna quod nec facit nec faciet me jubes, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 54: “nequiquam tibi Fortuna faculam lucrifica adlucere volt,id. Pers. 4, 3, 47: “quo in genere vel maxime est Fortuna numeranda,Cic. N. D. 3, 24, 61: “heu, Fortuna, quis est crudelior in nos te deus?Hor. S. 2, 8, 61: “saeviat atque novos moveat Fortuna tumultus,id. ib. 2, 2, 126: “Fortunae fanum antiquum (Syracusis),Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 53, § 119: “Fortunae in gremio sedens,id. Div. 2, 41, 85 sq.: “bona Fortuna,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 3 fin.: “Malam Fortunam in aedis te adduxi meas,Plaut. Rud. 2, 6, 17: “mala Fortuna,Cic. Leg. 2, 11, 28; id. N. D. 3, 25, 63: Fors Fortuna; “v. fors: Fortunae filius,child of fortune, fortune's favorite, Hor. S. 2, 6, 49; v. filius.
II. In partic.
A. Without secunda or adversa, either good luck or ill luck, according to the context.
1. For fortuna secunda, good luck, good fortune, prosperity: “reliquum est, ut de felicitate pauca dicamus ... Maximo, Marcello, Scipioni ... non solum propter virtutem, sed etiam propter fortunam saepius imperia mandata,Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 16, 47: “judicium hoc omnium mortalium est, fortunam a deo petendam,id. N. D. 3, 36, 88: “diuturna cum fortuna,id. Div. 1, 20, 39: “superbum se praebuit in fortuna,id. Att. 8, 4, 1: “non solum ipsa fortuna caeca est, sed eos etiam plerumque efficit caecos, quos complexa est,id. Lael. 15, 54: “a fortuna deseri,Caes. B. G. 5, 34, 2: fortunam habere, to succeed, Liv. 24, 34, 1: “fortunam sibi facere,id. 39, 40, 4; cf.: “fortunam sequi,Tac. H. 4, 78: “habendam fortunae gratiam, quod, etc.,Caes. B. C. 3, 73, 3: “dum fortuna fuit,Verg. A. 3, 16: “deos precetur et oret, Ut redeat miseris, abeat fortuna superbis,Hor. A. P. 201: “ut tu fortunam, sic nos te feremus,id. Ep. 1, 8, 17: “venimus ad summum fortunae,id. ib. 2, 1, 32: “ut te Confestim liquidus fortunae rivus inauret,id. ib. 1, 12, 9: “occidit Spes omnis et fortuna nostri Nominis,id. C. 4, 4, 71.—Prov.: Fortunam citius reperias quam retineas, Publ. Syr. 168 (Rib.).—Hence,
b. Per fortunas, i. e. for heaven's sake, Cic. Att. 5, 11, 1; 5, 13, 3; 3, 20, 1.—
2. For fortuna adversa, ill luck, mishap, misfortune, adversity (very rare): “Trojae renascens alite lugubri Fortuna tristi clade iterabitur,Hor. C. 3, 3, 62: “ut arte Emendaturus fortunam,id. S. 2, 8, 85.—
2. Transf., concr., fortunae , ārum, less freq. in the sing., property, possessions, goods, fortune.
(β). Sing.: “quo mihi fortuna, si non conceditur uti?Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 12: “nec mea concessa est aliis fortuna,Ov. Tr. 5, 2, 57: “adiri nomen invidiosae fortunae Caesaris,Vell. 2, 60, 1 Ruhnk.: “de fortuna, qua uterque abundabat,Quint. 6, 1, 50: “fortunam in nominibus habere,Dig. 4, 7, 40 fin.
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hide References (68 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (68):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 13.5.2
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 4.5.6
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 10.4.4
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 14.11.1
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 5.11.1
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 8.4.1
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 9.6.4
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 1.11
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 1.36.3
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 5.3
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 5.34.2
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 5.3.5
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 7.63
    • Cicero, For Quintus Roscius the Actor, 12.33
    • Cicero, For Marcus Fonteius, 15
    • Cicero, For Sextus Roscius of Ameria, 3.7
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.1.113
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.1.81
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.4.119
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.4.5
    • Cicero, For Lucius Murena, 31.64
    • Cicero, For Sulla, 23.66
    • Cicero, For Sulla, 31
    • Cicero, For Milo, 34.92
    • Cicero, Against Piso, 10.22
    • Cicero, Against Piso, 16.38
    • Cicero, Against Piso, 22.52
    • Cicero, For Sestius, 7.17
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 5.368
    • Plautus, Persa, 4.3
    • Plautus, Rudens, 2.6
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 11.761
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 3.16
    • Horace, Satires, 2.6.49
    • Horace, Satires, 2.8.61
    • Horace, Satires, 2.8.85
    • Horace, Ars Poetica, 201
    • Caesar, Civil War, 2.6.1
    • Caesar, Civil War, 3.73.3
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 4.78
    • Plautus, Captivi, 4.2
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 24, 34
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 39, 40
    • Cicero, De Legibus, 2.11
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.4
    • Cicero, De Republica, 2.16
    • Cicero, De Republica, 2.19
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 5.19
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 3.24
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 3.25
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 3.36
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 3.37
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 15
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 16
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 6
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 1.20
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 2.41
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 2.6
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 1.6
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 5.39
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 5.9
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 1.13
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 3, 8.50
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 4, 2.122
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 1.50
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 7, 9.2
    • Ovid, Tristia, 5.2
    • Ovid, Ex Ponto, 2.2
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