 The gist of Erasmus’ arguments about imitation is drawn from classical handbooks of rhetoric, such as Quintilian’s Institutio Oratoria or Cicero’s Ad Herennium, but Erasmus goes further, giving a Christian context to the classical precepts. To satisfy the requirements of aptum et decorum, a Christian’s speech must savor of Christ, “or you will turn out not Ciceronian but pagan”. Indeed, this was the purpose of all education, “of studying philosophy, of studying eloquence, to know Christ, to celebrate the glory of Christ. This is the goal of all learning and all eloquence” (CWE 28: 447)