Aequat omnes cinis; impares nascimur, pares morimur
“Ashes make all equal; we are born unequal, we die equal.”
Seneca, Epistulae morales 91.16
What does “Aequat omnes cinis; impares nascimur, pares morimur” mean?
Aequat omnes cinis; impares nascimur, pares morimur translates as “Ashes make all equal; we are born unequal, we die equal.”
Death levels everyone, rich and poor alike.
“Aequat omnes cinis; impares nascimur, pares morimur” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Aequat | makes equal, levels | 3rd person singular present active indicative of aequo, “I make equal” |
| omnes | all, everyone | accusative plural masculine of omnis, “all”; the object of aequat |
| cinis | ashes | nominative singular masculine of cinis, “ash”; the subject of the verb |
| impares | unequal | nominative plural masculine of impar, “unequal”; describes the “we” in nascimur |
| nascimur | we are born | 1st person plural present indicative of nascor, “I am born” (a deponent verb: passive form, active meaning) |
| pares | equal | nominative plural masculine of par, “equal”; describes the “we” in morimur |
| morimur | we die | 1st person plural present indicative of morior, “I die” (a deponent verb) |
How to pronounce “Aequat omnes cinis; impares nascimur, pares morimur”
The main differences: ae is “eye” in Classical but “eh” in Church Latin, c in cinis is hard (k) or soft (ch), and sc in nascimur is “sk” or “sh”. Stress falls on the first syllable of aequat, omnes, cinis, impares, pares and morimur, and on the second of nascimur.
The story behind it
Word for word: “ash levels all; unequal we are born, equal we die”. The line comes from Seneca’s Epistulae morales (Moral Letters), a collection of letters to his friend Lucilius in which he offers practical Stoic advice.
In Letter 91 Seneca writes to console Lucilius after a fire destroyed the city of Lugdunum (modern Lyon). He uses the disaster to remind him that nothing human is safe from sudden loss, and that death in the end treats everyone the same.
The ash of the title is the ash of the funeral pyre, a daily sight in Roman life. The sentence has a neat balance, impares nascimur, pares morimur, which makes it easy to remember and quote today.
How to use “Aequat omnes cinis; impares nascimur, pares morimur”
It suits a tattoo or engraving for anyone drawn to Stoic thought, a card message of condolence, or a line for an essay on mortality, class or fairness. It also works as a motto for people who want to stay humble about status and wealth.
- Latin
- Aequat omnes cinis; impares nascimur, pares morimur
- English
- Ashes make all equal; we are born unequal, we die equal.
- Source
- Seneca, Epistulae morales 91.16
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Death
Common mistakes
- It is not a statement that all people are equal in life. It says the opposite: we are born unequal and only death levels us.
- Cinis is the subject of the sentence, so “ashes make all equal” is correct, not “all make ashes equal”.
- Do not swap in a singular form like “par morior” without checking: nascimur and morimur are 1st person plural, so impares and pares must stay plural too.
- Do not drop the second half. “Aequat omnes cinis” alone is a common shortened form and loses the contrast with birth.
Questions about “Aequat omnes cinis; impares nascimur, pares morimur”
What does “Aequat omnes cinis” mean literally?
“Ash makes everyone equal”. The ash is that of the funeral pyre, standing for death itself.
Who said “Aequat omnes cinis; impares nascimur, pares morimur”?
It is from Seneca the Younger, Epistulae morales 91.16, in a letter to Lucilius written after a fire destroyed Lugdunum.
How do you pronounce “Aequat omnes cinis”?
In Classical Latin: eye-KWAHT OM-nays KIH-nis. In Church Latin: eh-KWAHT OM-nehs CHEE-nees.
Is “impares nascimur, pares morimur” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is the original wording from Seneca. It is grammatically sound, and the two matching halves sound good when read aloud.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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