Fortune as a symbol of the changeability of life in European culture from Antiquity to Modern times

The article analyzes the evolution of the symbol of Fortune as one of the characters reflecting the changeability of the human existence in the world. It is shown how from the symbol of blind luck in pagan antiquity Fortune is merging into the system of symbols of the Christian universe, reflecting, on the one hand, the justice of the divine ruling of the world, and, on the other hand, the opening of the "inner human" in Christianity whose own life becomes the subject matter of the constant reflection. The article analyzes the understanding of Fortune in the period of European Renaissance. It should be noted that the notion of Fortune of that period includes contradictory motives of submission as well as active interaction with Fortune and its subordination to the will of the acting individual. According to the author, the decreased attention to Fortune as a symbol of changeability of destiny is connected with the processes of secularization of the world and the loss of perception by human beings of the "hand of God" over them on the one hand, and on the other hand - understanding of the world as a perfectly adjusted mechanism driven by natural laws, cognized rationally and leaving no place for the sacrament of human existence, which would instantly be grasped in intuition and perceived in the symbol.