si fueris Romae, Romano vivito more; si fueris alibi, vivito sicut ibi

Latin

Etymology

An elegiac couplet (hexameter + pentameter) meaning literally “if you find yourself in Rome, live according to the Roman custom; if you find yourself elsewhere, live as they do there.” A version of the advice given to St Ambrose, quoted by Jeremy Taylor, Ductor Dubitantium (1660).

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /siː ˈfu.e.ris ˈroː.mae̯ roːˈmaː.noː ˈu̯iː.u̯i.to ˈmoː.re siː ˈfu.e.ris ˈa.li.biː ˈu̯iː.u̯i.to ˈsiː.kut ˈi.biː/, [s̠iː ˈfuɛrɪs̠ ˈroːmäe̯ roːˈmäːnoː ˈu̯iːu̯ɪt̪ɔ ˈmoːrɛ s̠iː ˈfuɛrɪs̠ ˈälʲɪbiː ˈu̯iːu̯ɪt̪ɔ ˈs̠iːkʊt̪ ˈɪbiː]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /si ˈfu.e.ris ˈro.me roˈma.no ˈvi.vi.to ˈmo.re si ˈfu.e.ris ˈa.li.bi ˈvi.vi.to ˈsi.kut ˈi.bi/, [siː ˈfuːeris ˈrɔːme roˈmäːno ˈviːvit̪o ˈmɔːre siː ˈfuːeris ˈäːlibi ˈviːvit̪o ˈsiːkut̪ ˈiːbi]
Audio (Classical) (file)

Phrase

sī fuerī̆s Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitŏ mōre; sī fuerī̆s alibī̆, vīvitŏ sīcut ibī̆

when in Rome, do as the Romans do