To die like Roland
Preserved but no longer current.
To die of starvation or thirst. One legend has it that Roland escaped the general slaughter in the defile of Ronces- valles, and died of hunger and thirst in seeking to cross the Pyrenees. He was buried at Blayes, in the church of St. Raymond; but his body was removed afterwards to Roncesvalles.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “To die like Roland” mean?
To die of starvation or thirst. One legend has it that Roland escaped the general slaughter in the defile of Ronces- valles, and died of hunger and thirst in seeking to cross the Pyrenees. He was buried at Blayes, in the church of St. Raymond; but his body was removed afterwards to Roncesvalles.
Is “To die like Roland” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.