Memento Mori. Tempus Edax Rerum.
Two mantras on mortality from Ancient Rome that pair well together.
Here are two mantras on mortality from Ancient Rome that pair well together.
The first is Memento Mori, literary “remember to die,” but more commonly translated as “remember you must die.” It’s a recurring theme in Stoic philosophy, a filter function to prioritize and a way to ground oneself.
The second is Tempus Edax Rerum. It comes from the poet Ovid from the Metamorphoses book 15, verse 234 and can be translated to “time devours everything.”1
Both call to attention how ephemeral our existence is.
It might be tempting to interpret them as an excuse to slack. An invitation to nihilism. If nothing last, what’s the point in even trying?
On the contrary, they are a call to action. Time devours everything, so keep things into perspective, let go of the petty, and don’t think too grandly of yourself. Remember you must die, so don’t waste the precious little time you have.
You can hold them in your mind and look at them in both directions. Time devours everything, so remember that you, too, will die. Remember you must die; time, after all, devours everything.
Few things are as powerful as contemplating your own upcoming death to keep you present and focused.
Sooner or later, time will devour all the people and things you care about. Better make the most of them while you have the chance.
1 – For a richer version of the Ovid quote, in context, see Henry T. Riley’s translation, conserved by Project Gutenberg.