imitatio

Imitatio is a Latin noun meaning imitation or copying, derived from the verb imitor, to imitate. In classical rhetoric and poetry, imitatio referred to the practice of modeling one’s work on exemplary authors, often the major classical poets such as Homer or Virgil. It was viewed as a legitimate method for learning craft and structuring style, involving not slavish copying but adaptation, transformation, and the appropriation of formal patterns. Related to imitatio is aemulatio, which denotes emulation or striving to surpass the model.

In Renaissance humanism, imitatio of ancient masters remained central. Poets and scholars studied classical metres, themes, and forms to reinterpret them for contemporary aims. The practice was part of a broader program of translatio studii et imperii, the transfer of cultural authority from antiquity to modern Europe, influencing poetry, rhetoric, and criticism.

In Christian thought, imitatio Christi—the imitation of Christ—is a persistent theme in patristic and medieval literature, urging believers to imitate Christ’s virtue and conduct. Similar notions appear in devotional and monastic writing, extending to the ethical imitation of saints and exemplary figures.

In the arts more broadly, imitatio also describes stylistic borrowing and dialogue with past works in music, painting, and film, where motifs, forms, or techniques are echoed or reinterpreted. Modern scholarship often treats imitatio as a nuanced concept that can coexist with originality, serving as a framework to analyze tradition, influence, and creative transformation.