Nonnus

Nonnus of Panopolis (Greek Νόννος ) was a Byzantine poet of the fifth century AD.

Life and works

Nonno seems from Akhmim (Egypt) to come, as its name suggests, but is otherwise little is known about his person. He is considered the author of the Dionysiaca ( Διονυσιακά ), the last great epic of ancient times. In 48 songs and about 25,000 hexameters The work describes the triumph of Dionysus to India. A Gigantomachia called work has been lost. In Nonnus ' name also exists a poetic paraphrase ( Metabolic ) of the Gospel of John. It was assumed that Nonnus converted to Christianity, which would paraphrase for future work. However, there is no evidence for this assumption.

Expenditure

• Gerart Falkenburg (ed.): Dionysiaca, nunc primum edita in lucem, ex Bibliotheca Joannis Sambuci pannonii. Cum lectionibus & conjectururis Gerarti Falkenburgii Noviomagi & Indice copioso. Christophe Plantin, Antwerp 1569th
• Marie -Louis -Jean -André -Charles le Comte de Marcellus (ed.): Nonno de Panopolis. Les Dionysiaques, ou Bacchus, poème grec en XLVIII chants. Firmin Didot frères, Paris 1856. Greek text and French prose translation.
• Hermann Köchly (ed.): Dionysiacorum libri 48 Teubner 1857-58
• Rudolf Keydell (ed.): Nonni Panopolitani Dionysiaca. Weidmann, Berlin 1959

Translation

• The Dionysiaca of Nonnus, dt of Thassilo by Scheffer, 2 vols, Bruckmann, Munich 1929-1933
• Works in two volumes. Translated from the Greek and edited by Dietrich Plane. Aufbau-Verlag, Berlin / Weimar 1985. ( Ancient Library )