The Myth of Paganism: Nonnus, Dionysus and the World of Late Antiquity (Classical Literature and Society) - Softcover

Shorrock, Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0715636685 ISBN 13: 9780715636688

Publisher: Bristol Classical Press, 2011

Synopsis

This challenging series considers Greek and Roman literature primarily in relation to genre and theme. It also aims to place writer and original addressee in their social context. The series will appeal to both scholar and student, and to anyone interested in our classical inheritance. 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 John's Gospel.

About this title

About the Author:

Robert Shorrock teaches Classics at Eton College, Windsor, and is co-editor of the journal Greece & Rome.

Review:

Art is still art, no matter what is thought to have inspired it. "The Myth of Paganism: Nonnus, Dionysus and the World of Late Antiquity" discusses Pagan poetry and literature, as Robert Shorrock hopes to dispel the myth that this work was any lesser due to the rising power of Christianity, and critiques much of this dismissed work in comparison to other contemporary work and how it still holds its influence in later writing, much like the late-antiquity Christian works. "The Myth of Paganism" is scholarly critique about the importance of these forgotten artists.

About this edition

• Publisher: Bristol Classical Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0715636685
• ISBN 13: 9780715636688
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192