When in Rome, do as the Romans do - Wikipedia When in Rome, do as the Romans do This article is about the proverb. For other uses, see When in Rome. Look up when in Rome, do as the Romans do in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Wikisource has original text related to this article : Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers : Series I Wikiquote has quotations related to : Rome When in Rome, do as the Romans do ( often shortened to when in Rome... ) or a later version when in Rome, do as the Pope does, a proverb attributed to Saint Ambrose, means that it is advisable to follow the conventions of the area in which you are residing or visiting. Saint Monica and her son, Saint Augustine, found out that Saturday was observed as a fast day in Rome, where they planned to visit. It was not a fast day in Milan, where they lived. 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 ^ Jump up to : Speake, Jennifer, ed. ( 2015 ). Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs ( 6th ed. ). OUP Oxford. p. 269. ISBN 978 - 01 - 910 - 5959 - 9. OCLC 914473236. Jump up ^ Cresswell, Julia ( 2010 ). Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins. OUP Oxford. Rome ; pp. 371 -- 372. ISBN 978 - 01 - 995 - 4793 - 7. OCLC 965141221. Jump up ^ Dixon, James Main ( 1891 ). Dictionary of Idiomatic English Phrases. T. Nelson and Sons. p. 273. OCLC 156125145. Jump up ^ Marvin, Dwight Edwards ( 1922 ). The Antiquity of Proverbs : Fifty Familiar Proverbs and Folk Sayings with Annotations and Lists of Connected Forms, Found in All Parts of the World. G.P. Putnam 's Sons. pp. 294 -- 299. OCLC 978104222. Jump up ^ Brewer, Ebenezer Cobham ( 1900 ). Dictionary of Phrase and Fable : Giving the Derivation, Source, Or Origin of Common Phrases, Allusions, and Words that Have a Tale to Tell ( 3 ed. ). Cassell. p. 1070. OCLC 258268902. This Ancient Rome - related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. This Christianity - related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. This article about ethics is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=When_in_Rome,_do_as_the_Romans_do&oldid=835221920 '' Categories : Proverbs Metaphors referring to places Ancient Rome stubs Christianity stubs Ethics stubs Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from April 2017 All stub articles Talk About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 7 April 2018, at 09 : 57. About Wikipedia

Question: where does saying when in rome come from
Answer: Saint Ambrose