When in Rome, do as the Romans do (
Medieval Latin: Sī fuerīs Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitō mōre; sī fuerīs alibī, vīvitō sīcut ibī), often shortened to when in Rome..., is a
proverb attributed to
Saint Ambrose.[1][2] The proverb means that it is best to follow the
traditions or customs of a place being visited. A later version reads when in Rome, do as the Pope does.[3]
Background
In the 4th century,
Saint Monica and her son,
Saint Augustine, discovered that Saturday was observed as a
fast day in
Rome, where they planned to visit. However, it was not a fast day where they lived in
Milan. They consulted Saint Ambrose who said "When I am here (in Milan) I do not fast on Saturday, when in Rome I do fast on Saturday".
That reply is said to have brought about the saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".[4][5]