Religion and Poetry in the Epic of Nonnus of Panopolis

The object of the present project is to work out and to describe part of the intellectual situation of the people in the eastern Greek cities of the Roman empire in late antiquity, which is characterized by the dissense between daily life and intellectual interests as well as by the clash between the official religion and the deeply admired ancient Greek way of life. Therefore, the main task will be, by a close reading and a detailed commentary of certain passages of the epic work of Nonnus of Panopolis in Egypt, viz. the "Dionysiaca" and the "Paraphrasis" of the St. John`s gospel, to explore the strategies applied by the poet in coping with political and social change in the period of migration and struggle between pagans and Christians; to stress the cultural and intellectual background in a Greek city in the eastern Roman empire in late antiquity by exploring the education and the expectations of the audiences listening to the poet`s performance; to describe the worldview of that time as mirrored in the poems, because the form of the traditional Homeric epic actually is used to present contemporary discussions; to emphasize literary discourses among the educated and intellectually interested people in late antiquity in order to perceive the reception of Nonnus` epic poetry. People of the upper class in eastern Greek cities of the Roman empire in late antiquity, well educated and interested in classical literature and in the mythic past of ancient Athens, then nearly a century ago, are supposed to have been loosely organized in literary and intellectual circles. Nonnus gave them what they wanted to hear: epic poetry in the old fashioned Homeric style, filled with new and phantastic versions of the old mythic tales, both pagan and Christian, and he gave them the hope to meet the challenge of the profane by clinging to old myth. He also showed the possibility of uniting the old and the new when he ventured to narrate the "mythic" history of Jesus Christ, using the gospel of St. John as the source and the pattern for a new epic song.

Nonnus of Panopolis (Akhmim) in Upper-Egypt is the author of the 48 books Dionysiaca, the last large-scale mythological epic poem of antiquity, the main subject of which is the expedition of Dionysus to India, his return to Greece and finally his entry into the pantheon of the Olympic gods. Nonnus also united the old and the new when he ventured to narrate the mythic history of Jesus Christ, using the Gospel of St. John as the source for a new epic song, the Paraphrasis.The main task of the present project was to capture the literary composition and poetical aims of the Dionysiaca by means of close reading and interpretation of selected passages. In an extensive and detailed study of books 10 to 12 it is demonstrated that the mythological character Ampelus who is almost unknown before Nonnus takes a central position within the concept of Dionysiac epic. The poet elaborates his key character by creating a comprehensive mythological background as well as by remodelling and integrating traditional literary contexts, a process well known in late antique Greek and Latin literature.Special interest was payed to Nonnus use of traditional literary techniques in the setting of Late antique classicism and innovation. By incorporating common literary genres, for example rhetoric and traditional Homeric epic, the poet creates a highly sophisticated epic which addresses the Hellenic upper class in eastern cities of the Late antique Roman empire. The analysis of further mythological figures, literary places and landscapes within the epic narrative displays Nonnus connection with classical literature and the mythic Greek past as well as his socio-cultural affiliation with intellectual circles of well educated Hellenes.Significant scientific advance was achieved by applying, for the first time, a new method on the Dionysiaca: the Monomyth theory and the concept of the Heros Quest, originally developed by Joseph Campbell. Results are notable, and it could be proved that Nonnus more than other authors disposes his figures on basic facts of the Heros tale. These investigations, including the results of recent studies, should be continued, and therefore an application for a Continuation project is planned.