TY - BOOK ID - 21826000 TI - The myth of paganism : nonnus, Dyonysus and the world of late antiquity PY - 2010 SN - 9780715636688 0715636685 PB - London: Duckworth, DB - UniCat KW - Paganism in literature. KW - Nonnus, KW - Paganisme dans la littérature KW - Nonnos de Panopolis KW - Dionysiaques UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:21826000 AB - With the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman world in the fourth century AD, the role of the poet underwent a radical transformation. In place of the traditional poet of the Muses there emerged a new figure, claiming inspiration and authority from Christ. The poet of Christ soon came to eclipse the poet of the Muses, and in doing so established a conceptual framework that still drives modern approaches to the period. Christian poetry is taken 'seriously' as making a relevant and valuable contribution to our understanding of the late antique world; by contrast 'pagan' or 'secular' poetry is largely ignored, as though it were devoid of meaning. The Myth of Paganism seeks to re-evaluate the role of 'pagan' poetry in late antiquity. Instead of maintaining a strict dichotomy between 'pagan' and 'Christian', it presents a broader definition of these poets as active participants and collaborators in the creation of late antique culture. Attention focuses on an exploration of the contemporary resonance of Nonnus' Dionysiaca - traditionally regarded as a 'pagan' epic in terms of its theme and content, yet in all probability the work of a 'Christian' poet responsible for a Homeric-style retelling of St Johns Gospel. ER -