Epic revels. Nonnos of Panopolis in Egypt who lived in the fifth century of our era composed the last great epic poem of antiquity. The Dionysiaca in forty-eight books has for its chief theme the expedition of Dionysus against the Indians; but the poet contrives to include all the adventures of the god (as well as much other mythological lore) in a narrative that begins with chaos in heaven and ends with the apotheosis of Ariadne s crown. The wild ecstasy inspired by the god is certainly reflected in the poet s style which is baroque extravagant and unrestrained. It seems that Nonnos was in later years converted to Christianity for in marked contrast to the Dionysiaca a poem dealing unreservedly with classical myths and redolent of a pagan outlook there is extant and ascribed to him a hexameter paraphrase of the Gospel of John. The Loeb Classical Library edition of the Dionysiaca is in three volumes.