Memento Mori

Memento Mori is a Latin word that means remember that you die. This sentence gained popularity in ancient Rome when victorious generals were being celebrated and honored for their victories. As Classical Wisdom writes:  It was such a glorious ceremony that any general might start considering himself superior to everyone else on earth.

To avoid this, the Romans came up with an idea to keep generals’ ego in check. As the general would march in a chariot amidst a cheerful crowd, a slave sitting right behind him would whisper in his ear something along the lines of memento mori. The purpose was to remind the general that all of that fame and honor was temporary, and that death was inevitable even for those who are at the height of their power and career. This ensured that the generals were not too engrossed in their glory and erroneously think of themselves invincible.