
SEMPER PRAESTO ESSE
infortunia.
Misfortune is always at hand
Ludebant parili tres olim aetate puellae
Sortibus, ad stygias quae prior iret aquas.
Ast cui iactato malè 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.
1. This is a translation of Anthologia graeca 9.158.
Related Emblems

- Declaracion magistral sobre las Emblemas de Andres Alciato (1615), Najera: SEMPER PRAESTO ESSE INfortunia. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1621), Padua: Semper praesto esse infortunia. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum liber (6th April, 1531), Augsburg: SEMPER PRAESTO ESSE infortunia. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum liber (1534), Augsburg: SEMPER PRAESTO ESSE infortunia. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libellus (1534), Paris: Semper praesto esse infortunia. | Open in other pane
- Les Emblemes (1539), Paris: Semper praesto esse infortunia. Infortunes tousjours prochaines. | Open in other pane
- Les Emblemes (1542), Paris: Semper praesto esse infortunia. Infortunes tousjours prochaines. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libellus (1542), Paris: Semper praesto esse infortunia. Ungluck ist alweg gegenwertich. | Open in other pane
- Los Emblemas (1549), Lyon: Que la desventura siempre està aparejada. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1550), Lyon: Semper presto esse infortunia. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1551), Lyon: Semper presto esse infortunia. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libri II (Stockhamer) (1556), Lyon: Semper presto esse infortunia. | Open in other pane
- Toutes les emblemes (1558), Lyon: Tousjours malheur est prest. | Open in other pane
- Liber emblematum ... Kunstbuch (1567), Franckfurt am Main: Semper praesto esse infortunia. Unglück ist stäts vor der Thür. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1591), Leiden: Semper praesto esse infortunia. | Open in other pane
- Diverse imprese (1551), Lyon: Che sempre le disaventure sono apparecchiate. | Open in other pane
- Livret des emblemes (1536), Paris: Semper presto esse infortunia. Infortunes tousjours prochaines | Open in other pane
- Emblemes (1549), Lyons: Tousjours malheur est prest. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata / Les emblemes (1584), Paris: Semper praesto esse infortunia. Tousjours le malheur est prest. | Open in other pane
- Les emblemes (1615), Geneva/Cologny: Les malheurs tousjours prochains. | Open in other pane
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- arm stretched forward (+ addressing) [31A2512(+932)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- index finger forwards, pointing, indicating [31A25552] Search | Browse Iconclass
- looking downwards [31B6212] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult woman (+ three persons) [31D15(+73)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dress, gown (+ women's clothes) [41D211(+82)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head-gear (+ women's clothes) [41D221(+82)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- (private) prayer; 'Oratione', 'Preghiere', 'Preghiere a Dio' (Ripa) [11Q2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- divination with crystal sphere [13E219(DICE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- accidental death by falling objects [3.10E+225] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dice-games [43C55] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dice [43C552] Search | Browse Iconclass
- tiles, bricks ~ building material [47G532] Search | Browse Iconclass
- collapsing building (+ variant) [47G91(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Weakness, Powerlessness, Helplessness; 'Infermità' (Ripa) [54AA7] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Luck, Fortune, Lot; 'Fato', 'Fortuna', 'Fortuna aurea', 'Fortuna buona', 'Fortuna pacifica overo clemente', 'Sorte' (Ripa) [54F12] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Turn of Fate, Wheel of Fortune (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54F121(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Adversity, Misfortune, Bad Luck; 'Fortuna infelice', 'Infortunio' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept)§ [54FF11(+4):51A4(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Mortality, Extinction of Life [58BB1] Search | Browse Iconclass
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