This interdisciplinary conference approaches the well-known phenomenon of imitatio Christi from a new perspective, combining archaeology, art history, philology, ancient history, theology and cultural history. It focuses on 4 topics:

1) Is it possible to project the Christian discourse of imitatio Christi back to the pagan background? To what extent has our perception of pagan imitatio been influenced by Christian imitatio? How do exempla work within pagan and Christian contexts?

2) Is the martyr, by imitating the supreme example represented by the life of Christ, implicitly challenging his model? How is the martyrs’ experience set apart from their model?

3) What are possible points of contact or differences between imitatio Christi and imitatio in another monotheistic religion, such as Islam?

4) How do various literary and artistic techniques shape and negotiate concepts of aemulatio and imitatio, such as portraits which liken their subjects to a famous model, or the arrangement of objects in space?