Victoria is asteroid #12 and of the type S (Tholen) or L (SMASS II). Victoria was discovered by the British astronomer John Russell Hind at the George Bishop’s Observatory. Victoria’s orbit is characterized by a semi-major axis of 2.334 Astronomical Units, an eccentricity of 0.22, a period of revolution of 1 302 days, and an inclination of 8.4 degrees.

Victoria is named after the Roman goddess of victory, whose name is Victoria, as the discoverer explained. But the discoverer is British and Great Britain was reigned by Queen Victoria when the asteroid was discovered, so the name caused a huge controversy. The name Klio was suggested instead, but became later the name of asteroid #84. The most renowned astronomer of that time was the American William Cranch Bond, who lived from 1789 until 1859 and became the first director of the Harvard College Observatory. Because of his advocacy, the astronomers worldwide agreed finally that Victoria, independently on whether she also honours a queen, fulfilled the criterion of being named after a character from mythology. So Victoria was finally accepted as the name of asteroid #12.

The cult of Victoria began most likely in 294 B.C. when historical records tell that her temple was consecrated. Her cult persisted for some centuries and vanished with the rise of Christendom in ancient Rome. Whenever Victoria was honoured, then this usually was a measure for political propaganda. She was also later still used for political iconography.

Klio is the muse of praising heroes. The name of that astrological force was considered for Victoria too. So Victoria represents victory and victorious people. Victoria requires that there is some strife before. Nobody is victorious without some strife before, so Victoria launches controversies on her own if there isn’t enough strife for a victory. She won’t make anybody win! To be a victor is something else than to be a winner. Besides this are the odds of winning and defeating a too important matter for an asteroid. The classic astrological factors decide on these! Victoria can also serve as a person name asteroid and represent people with the names Viktoria or Victoria and maybe also more variants of them.