Dionysiaca
Tim Whitmarsh
Jun 2026 · Univ of California Press
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About this ebook
Nonnus of Panopolis's Dionysiaca is the longest and most ambitious epic poem to survive from Greco-Roman antiquity. Written by an Egyptian Christian in the fifth century CE, this stunning mythological adventure explores the birth, upbringing, exploits, and ultimate apotheosis of the god Dionysus, including his establishment of mystery cults, discovery of the vine, conquest of India, and troubling relationships with mortal women. Its 48 books offer a portrait, viewed through a Dionysiac lens, of pagan polytheism in its entirety, a multifaceted mythical system that, despite the Christianization of the Roman Empire, retained its grip on the imagination in Nonnus's day.
This new translation renders Nonnus's extraordinary poetic achievement into elegant but accessible English. It includes a substantial introduction and an extensive glossary of names and places. The last great pagan epic of classical antiquity, the Dionysiaca contains unparalleled insights into late antique attitudes to religion, the Greek literary tradition, sexuality, race, and the body. It tells the richest story possible of the transition between the pagan epic tradition and late antique Christianity.
This new translation renders Nonnus's extraordinary poetic achievement into elegant but accessible English. It includes a substantial introduction and an extensive glossary of names and places. The last great pagan epic of classical antiquity, the Dionysiaca contains unparalleled insights into late antique attitudes to religion, the Greek literary tradition, sexuality, race, and the body. It tells the richest story possible of the transition between the pagan epic tradition and late antique Christianity.
About the author
Tim Whitmarsh, FBA, is Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Trinity College. A specialist in the literature, culture, and religion of ancient Greece, he is author of 10 books and 120 academic articles.
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