The Chosen Ones?

Character Groupings in Classical and Medieval Art and Literature

We are delighted to host a three-day symposium on the topic of Character Groupings in Classical and Medieval Art and Literature at the University of St Andrews from 17-19 April 2026.

We are hoping to bring together researchers who work on specific groupings of characters, such as the Nine Worthies, Seven Sages, Nine Worthy Women, and others. Since many of these groupings are oftentimes studied in isolation, the symposium will offer a chance to compare and contrast different groupings. We hope to facilitate discussions that explore questions such as how groupings develop, whether there are common denominators that enable such a development, and why some groupings are more popular and persistent than others.

The deadline for all abstracts is 5 January 2026.

For questions, please email Sophie Lemburg and Valerie Gruenzel at [email protected]