Nonnus of Panopolis (Νόννος ὁ Πανοπολίτης) was a Greek epic poet active in the 5th century CE, most likely during the middle or second half of the century [1][2][4]. He originated from Panopolis in Roman Egypt, a center known for its blend of pagan, Christian, and Gnostic thought [1][4]. Beyond this, no reliable biographical details survive [1][2][4].

His two principal works are the Dionysiaca (Διονυσιακά), a 48-book epic in dactylic hexameter on the life of the god Dionysus, and the Paraphrase of the Gospel of John (Μετάφρασις τοῦ κατὰ Ἰωάννην ἁγίου Εὐαγγελίου), a hexameter version of the Fourth Gospel [1][2][3][4].

Nonnus is a major figure in late antique literature. The Dionysiaca, at 21,286 lines, is the longest surviving epic from antiquity and a culmination of the mythological epic tradition [1][2][3][4]. Its innovative, baroque style and influential metrical technique shaped subsequent Byzantine poetry [1][2][4]. The co-existence of this pagan epic and a Christian paraphrase from the same author remains a central topic of scholarly discussion regarding late antique cultural and religious syncretism [1][2][3][4].

Sources 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Nonnus of Panopolis): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nonnus-panopolis/ 2. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics (Nonnus): https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-4456 3. Encyclopædia Britannica (Nonnus of Panopolis): https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nonnus-of-Panopolis 4. Perseus Digital Library (Nonnus, Dionysiaca): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0485