A dagger balances upright on its point between two coins on a dark wooden surface.

Original artwork, not a still

Sententiae

Publilius Syrus

When Fortune flatters, she does it to betray.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Fortune is given the behavior of someone whose praise conceals a harmful intention. Good luck becomes suspect because its apparent kindness may precede a reversal. The sentence warns against trusting favorable circumstances too readily, treating their attraction as part of their potential danger.

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