Who used to say memento mori? Did the Romans say memento mori? Who first said memento mori?
Memento Mori is believed to have originated from an ancient Roman tradition. After a major military victory, the triumphant military generals were paraded through the streets to the roars of the masses.
The Stoics used Memento Mori to invigorate life and to create priority and meaning. They treated each day as a gift and reminded themselves constantly to not waste any time in the day on the trivial and vain.
Memento Mori, a Latin phrase, translates as “Remember that you are mortal” or “Remember that you will die.”
Conceptualized primarily by Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman philosophers, Memento Mori was adopted by contemporary writers and existentialists, especially after the 20th century.
Although the concept first became famous with the Ancient Roman Emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic movement, it is actually found in many ancient cultures.
Although the Memento Mori story finds its place in many societies in different ways, one of the most famous is the life of Marcus Aurelius. According to what is reported, Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor and philosopher, thought about death throughout his life and made his decisions accordingly. In fact, a servant who was close to Marcus Aurelius throughout his life and was also assigned by him, constantly came to him and whispered in his ear, "Memento Mori", meaning "Remember that you will die." he said.
Although there is no certainty about the truth of the story, in the emperor's famous book Reflections on Myself, he often encouraged the reader and himself to think "how temporary and meaningless all mortal things are." Although the concept of Memento Mori seems quite pessimistic when viewed from this aspect, there is actually happiness behind it.
The famous Stoic philosopher Seneca covers the concept of death in detail in his letters. Seneca, who emphasizes concepts such as living a life correctly and virtue in all his works, actually argues that the awareness that everything has an end brings a fuller life. Because eternity causes something to lose its value.
One day, the flower, dog, or children we love may die. We too can face the death we fear. Okay, so why bother sulking all day? In fact, a person should live with the Memento Mori philosophy, live each day as if it were his last, and shape all his choices accordingly. Otherwise, a life spent with the fear that death will knock on our door one day becomes worthless from the moment we first learn the concept of death. As the famous Stoic philosopher Epictetus said:
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“I cannot escape death, but at least I can escape the fear of it.”
https://classicalwisdom.com/culture/memento-mori-in-the-ancient-world/