Ex vita discedo tamquam ex hospitio, non tamquam ex domo
“I depart from life as from an inn, not as from a home.”
Cicero, De Senectute 84
What does “Ex vita discedo tamquam ex hospitio, non tamquam ex domo” mean?
Ex vita discedo tamquam ex hospitio, non tamquam ex domo translates as “I depart from life as from an inn, not as from a home.”
Life is a temporary lodging, not a permanent residence, so we should leave it without clinging. The image invites a calm, grateful acceptance of mortality.
“Ex vita discedo tamquam ex hospitio …” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Ex | out of, from | preposition governing the ablative case |
| vita | life | ablative singular of vita, “life”; governed by ex |
| discedo | I depart | first person singular present indicative active of discedo, “to depart, go away” |
| tamquam | as, just as | conjunction or adverb introducing a comparison |
| ex | out of, from | preposition governing the ablative; repeated for the second comparison |
| hospitio | an inn, a lodging | ablative singular of hospitium, “inn, lodging, hospitality”; governed by ex |
| non | not | negative adverb |
| tamquam | as, just as | conjunction or adverb introducing the second comparison |
| ex | out of, from | preposition governing the ablative |
| domo | a home | ablative singular of domus, “home, house”; governed by ex |
How to pronounce “Ex vita discedo tamquam ex hospitio …”
The main differences are v (w in Classical, v in Church), the c in discedo and hospitio (hard k in Classical, ch in Church) and the long e in discedo. Stress falls on VI-, -CE-, TAM-, -PI- and DO-.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “I depart from life as from an inn, not as from a home”. It comes from Cicero’s dialogue De Senectute (On Old Age), written in 44 BC.
In the dialogue the aged Cato the Elder defends old age and speaks calmly about death. Near the end he voices his hope of meeting the great men of the past, and says he leaves life as a traveller leaves a lodging, not as an owner leaves his house.
The inn image has lived on in later writing about mortality. It is often quoted in memorial settings and in reflections on impermanence, where it suggests grateful acceptance rather than fear.
How to use “Ex vita discedo tamquam ex hospitio …”
Fitting for a memorial card, a funeral reading or a reflection on impermanence. It also suits a quiet personal motto about not clinging to possessions or to life itself.
- Latin
- Ex vita discedo tamquam ex hospitio, non tamquam ex domo
- English
- I depart from life as from an inn, not as from a home.
- Source
- Cicero, De Senectute 84
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Death
Common mistakes
- The words are Cato’s, spoken in a dialogue written by Cicero. They are not a personal statement by Cicero, though they are often quoted as his.
- Discedo means “I depart” (first person). Changing the subject needs a new verb ending: discedit for “he or she departs”, discedimus for “we depart”.
- Hospitium is a lodging or inn, not a hospital. The English word hospital comes from related Latin words but has a different meaning.
- The line is a comparison, not a rejection of life. It describes how to leave, not that life is worthless.
Questions about “Ex vita discedo tamquam ex hospitio …”
What does “Ex vita discedo tamquam ex hospitio, non tamquam ex domo” mean?
“I depart from life as from an inn, not as from a home.” Life is a temporary stay, so we should leave it without clinging.
Who said “Ex vita discedo tamquam ex hospitio”?
Cicero wrote it in De Senectute (44 BC), putting the words in the mouth of Cato the Elder.
How do you pronounce “Ex vita discedo tamquam ex hospitio”?
Classical: eks WEE-tah dis-KAY-doh TAM-kwam eks hos-PIH-kee-oh. In Church Latin the v, c and ti sounds change, as shown in the pronunciation guide.
Can I use “Ex vita discedo” for a tattoo?
The Latin is correct as written. Note that discedo is first person, so it speaks as “I”. Keep the full comparison with the inn and the home, or the sense is lost.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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