The exact words
What people get wrong
A grim, depressing motto about death.
In both the Roman story and the Christian tradition, the point is practical. Remembering that you will die keeps success from going to your head and makes ordinary days feel more valuable.
Timeline
- c. AD 197The Christian writer Tertullian describes a Roman custom in which a victorious general riding in his triumph is reminded that he is only human. This is the best early source for the famous story.
- Middle AgesThe short form “memento mori” becomes a common religious reminder, carved on tombs and written in devotional books.
- 1500s–1600sPainters fill still lifes with skulls, clocks and burnt-out candles. Art historians still call these objects “memento mori.”
- TodayThe phrase has a second life among fans of Stoic philosophy, who use it as a daily prompt to stop wasting time.
Use it in a speech
Questions people ask
What does memento mori mean?
It is Latin for “remember that you must die,” or more loosely, “remember death.”
Who said memento mori first?
No single author is known for the two-word phrase. The idea is old, and the best-known early source is Tertullian, who around AD 197 describes a Roman general being told “remember you are a man” during his victory parade.
Was a slave really whispering memento mori to Roman generals?
That is the popular version. Tertullian's text has the words “look behind you, remember you are a man,” not “memento mori,” and other details of the scene are uncertain.
How is memento mori different from carpe diem?
They are two sides of one idea. Memento mori reminds you that time runs out, and carpe diem tells you what to do about it, which is to enjoy the present.
Cite this quote
This is a traditional saying, so it counts as common knowledge and most style guides don't ask you to cite it. If you want to say where it comes from, give the earliest known use: the idea appears in Tertullian's Apology (c. AD 197).