picati

From LSJ

πρᾶγμα ἐλπίδος κρεῖσσον γεγενημένον → the thing worse than one expected

Source

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

pĭcāti: appellantur quidam, quorum pedes formati sunt in speciem sphingum: quod eas Dori ficas vocant, Fest. p 206 Müll.