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SEMPER PRAESTO ESSE
infortunia.

Misfortune is always at hand

Three women talking
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Ludebant parili tres olim aetate puellae
Sortibus, ad stygias quae prior iret aquas.
Ast cui iactato malč cesserat alea talo,
Ridebat sortis caeca puella suae.
Cum subito icta caput labente est mortua tecto,
Solvit & audacis debita fata ioci.
Rebus in adversis mala sors non fallitur, ast in
Faustis, nec precibus nec locus est manui.[1]

Once three girls of the same age were amusing themselves, casting lots to see which of them would be the first to go to the waters of the Styx. When the dice were cast, the throw fell out unluckily for one of them, but she laughed with blind contempt at the fate predicted for her. Then suddenly she died, struck on the head as the roof fell in, and so paid the fated penalty for her bold mockery. In misfortune, a bad omen cannot be eluded, but even in prosperity neither prayers nor action have any place.

Notes:

1.  This is a translation of Anthologia graeca 9.158.

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EX BELLO PAX.

Peace succeeding to war

Bees round a helmet
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En galea intrepidus quam miles gesserat, & quae
Saepius hostili sparsa cruore fuit.
Parta pace apibus tenuis concessit in usum,
Alveoli atque favos grataque melle [=mella] gerit.
Arma procul iaceant, fas sit tunc sumere bellum,
Quum[1] aliter pacis non potes arte frui.[2]

See here a helmet which a fearless soldier previously wore and which was often spattered with enemy blood. After peace was won, it retired to be used as a narrow hive for bees; it holds honey-combs and nice honey. - Let weapons lie far off; let it be right to embark on war only when you cannot in any other way enjoy the art of peace.

Notes:

1.  Corrected from the Errata

2.  Cf. Anthologia graeca, 6.236, where bees nest in what were once the beaks (projections at the prow) of war-galleys.

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