Hoc est vivere bis, vita posse priore frui
“To be able to enjoy one’s past life is to live twice.”
Martial, Epigrams 10.23.7-8
What does “Hoc est vivere bis, vita posse priore frui” mean?
Hoc est vivere bis, vita posse priore frui translates as “To be able to enjoy one’s past life is to live twice.”
A life well lived gives joy again when remembered. Good memories make a second life of their own.
“Hoc est vivere bis, vita posse priore frui” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Hoc | this | neuter nominative singular of the demonstrative hic, haec, hoc, “this”; the subject of est, pointing ahead to the infinitive clause |
| est | is | third person singular present indicative of sum, esse, “to be” |
| vivere | to live | present infinitive (active) of vivo, “I live” |
| bis | twice | adverb, “twice, two times” |
| vita | by (one’s) life | ablative singular of vita, “life”, the thing that is enjoyed; it depends on frui |
| posse | to be able | present infinitive of possum, “I am able”; here the subject of the clause “to be able to enjoy” |
| priore | former, past | ablative singular of prior, “earlier, former”; agrees with vita |
| frui | to enjoy | present infinitive of the deponent verb fruor, “I enjoy” (passive form, active meaning); takes the ablative |
How to pronounce “Hoc est vivere bis, vita posse priore frui”
The main differences are v (w in Classical, v in Church Latin) and the ending of bis (short i in Classical, a longer ee in Church Latin). The stress is the same in both: VI-ve-re, VI-ta, POS-se, pri-O-re, FRU-i.
The story behind it
Taken literally the line says “This is to live twice: to be able to enjoy a former life.” The word order is playful, with vita priore (“former life”) split around posse, so that the whole line reads as one neat, quotable saying.
It comes from the Roman poet Martial (Marcus Valerius Martialis, active in the late first century AD), whose Epigrams are short, pointed poems about Roman life. In Epigrams 10.23 he praises his friend Antonius Primus, who had reached old age and could look back on his life without regret.
The idea of living twice by remembering travels well beyond the poem. The line is often quoted on its own in cards, speeches about ageing and memoirs, usually with the sense that a life lived well pays a second dividend in memory.
How to use “Hoc est vivere bis, vita posse priore frui”
A warm fit for a retirement card, a milestone birthday, a toast to an older friend or relative, or the opening page of a memory album or family history. It also works as an essay quote on memory, ageing or a life well spent.
- Latin
- Hoc est vivere bis, vita posse priore frui
- English
- To be able to enjoy one’s past life is to live twice.
- Source
- Martial, Epigrams 10.23.7-8
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Life
Common mistakes
- It is not about reliving the past or being stuck in it. Martial’s point is that a life without regret can be enjoyed again in memory.
- The line is the end of a longer epigram, so quoting it alone loses the original setting. Make sure you attribute it to Martial, not to a generic “Roman proverb”.
- vita priore is ablative because frui takes the ablative, not the accusative. If you change the wording, keep that case, for example “fruor vita” and not “fruor vitam”.
- Do not read bis vivere as “live twice as long”. It means living a second time, through memory.
Questions about “Hoc est vivere bis, vita posse priore frui”
What does “Hoc est vivere bis, vita posse priore frui” mean?
Literally, “This is to live twice: to be able to enjoy one’s former life.” In other words, looking back on a life well lived gives you the pleasure of it a second time.
Who wrote “Hoc est vivere bis”?
The Roman poet Martial, in his Epigrams 10.23, lines 7 and 8. The poem is addressed to his friend Antonius Primus.
How do you pronounce “Hoc est vivere bis”?
In Classical Latin: hohk est WEE-weh-reh bis. In Church Latin the v sounds like an English v: ohk est VEE-veh-reh bees.
Why is it “vita priore” and not “vitam priorem”?
The verb frui, “to enjoy”, takes its object in the ablative case. That is why vita priore is in the ablative and not the accusative.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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