Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Attribution ·333 of 348
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
They never said that.
What people say
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
What was actually said
"If you are at Rome, live in the Roman style; if you are elsewhere, live as they live elsewhere." Ambrose of Milan — St Ambrose to St Augustine, c. AD 387 (reported by Augustine in Letter 36)
Why it stuck
Ambrose gave Augustine pastoral advice about fasting on Saturdays — a Roman custom Augustine's mother was confused by. The English adage compresses his answer into four words.
The modern English form first appears in 1530. The Latin Ambrose had "Romano vivito more" in the 1610s.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.