science

When in Rome, do as the Romans do

When in Rome, do as the Romans do is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand When in Rome, do as the Romans do rather than just read about it. In short: "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. The proverb means that it is best to follow the traditions or customs of a place being visited.

Key takeaways

When in Rome, do as the Romans do belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect When in Rome, do as the Romans do to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of When in Rome, do as the Romans do from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

"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. 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.

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".

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with When in Rome, do as the Romans do

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what When in Rome, do as the Romans do claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to When in Rome, do as the Romans do before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about When in Rome, do as the Romans do ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of When in Rome, do as the Romans do

In research: When in Rome, do as the Romans do appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses When in Rome, do as the Romans do in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: When in Rome, do as the Romans do is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 4th-century introductions, Ancient Rome stubs, Early Christianity stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for When in Rome, do as the Romans do outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study When in Rome, do as the Romans do in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what When in Rome, do as the Romans do means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain When in Rome, do as the Romans do out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is When in Rome, do as the Romans do in simple terms?

Why does When in Rome, do as the Romans do matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study When in Rome, do as the Romans do?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on When in Rome, do as the Romans do.