Death before dishonor

Latin Learning Latin
1

If a Roman were to say Death before dishonor, would he use the accusative or the nominative case of death?

Are there any examples of actual Roman mottos of this sort?

I’d like to know this because I want to translate one of my own mottos: Death before work!

2

The nominative would surely be all right, but I am uncertain as to whether an accusative might also work. You could cirvumvent this issue by saying ad mortem ante ignominiam (or with whatever words you choose).