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Nonnus

Literary Character
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Late Greek epic poet of the "Dionysiaca" and a Christian paraphrase of John

Detailed Definition
Nonnus’s massive "Dionysiaca" celebrates Dionysus with baroque style, while his biblical work bridges pagan and Christian poetics. In poetry, he appears as a synthesizer of traditions, symbolizing the persistence of myth in late antiquity and the poetic negotiation between polytheism and monotheism.
Example
Example in poetry:
Nonnus’ "Dionysiaca" constructs Dionysus as epic hero battling chaos; His "Paraphrase of John" gives biblical figures Homeric grandeur; Nonnus’ use of elaborate similes creates mythic characters with baroque detail; Later Byzantine poets imitate his style for Christian epic character.
Additional Notes
Nonnus, a late antique Greek poet, wrote the sprawling "Dionysiaca"; his literary characters—gods, heroes, personified abstractions—reflect a baroque aesthetic of excess and syncretism, useful for studying the transformation of epic agency in late antiquity.
Also Known As
Nonnos of Panopolis
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