The Challenge Of Epic: Allusive Engagement In The Dionysiaca Of Nonnus

THE CHALLENGE OF EPIC MNEMOSYNE BlBLlOTHECA CLASSlCA BATAVA COLLEGERUNT H. PINKSTER • H. W. PLEKET CJ. RUUGH. D.M. SCHENKEVELD· PH. SCHRIJVERS BIBLIOTHECAE FASCICULOS EDENDOS CURAVIT C.]. RUUGH, KLASSIEK SEMINARIUM, OUDE TURFMARKT 129, AMSTERDAM SUPPLEMENTUM DUCENTESIMUM DEClMUM ROBERT SHORROCK THE CHALLENGE OF EPlC THE CHALLENGE OF EPIC ALLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT IN THE DIONYSIACA OFNONNUS BY ROBERT SHORROCK BRILL LEIDEN· BOSTON· KÖLN 2001 This book is printed on acid-free paper. Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnalune [MneJllosyne I SuppleJllentuIll] Mnemosyne : bibliotheca classica Batava. Supplementum. - Leiden; Boston; Köln: Brill Früher Schriftenreihe Teilw. u.d.T.: Mnemosyne / Supplements Reihe Supplementum zu: Mnemosyne 210. Shorrock, Robert: The challenge of epic: allusive engagement in the Dionysiaca of Nonnus. - 2001 Shorrock, Robert: The challenge of epic : allusive engagement in the Dionysiaca of Nonnus / by Robert Shorrock. - Leiden; Boston; Köln: Brill, 2001 (Mnemosyne : Supplementum ; 210) ISBN 90-04-11795-4 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is also available. ISSN 0169-8958 ISBN 90 04 11795 4 © Copyright 2001 by Koninklyke Brill NT; Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part qf this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, eleetronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items flr internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fies are paid direetry to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers MA 01923, USA. Fees are subjeet to change. PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS CONTENTS Preface ... ...... .. ... .... .. .. .. .. .. .... ... ... ...... ... .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. ..... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Introduction ............................................................................... . Chapter One: The Challenge of Epic VII 7 Chapter Two: The Cyde of Dionysus .................................... Introduction .............................................. ......................... ..... 1. Epic Beginnings [1-12] .................................................... 2. The Road to War [13-24] .............................................. 3. The Indiad [25-40] ............................................................ 4. The Road to Olympus [40-8] ........................................ 25 25 33 59 67 95 Chapter Three: The Poet of Dionysus ............ ........................ Introduction ............................................................................ 1. Epic Beginnings [1-12] .................... ... ................... .......... 2. The Road to War [13-24] .............................................. 3. The Indiad [25-40] ............................................................ 4. The Road to 01ympus [40-8] ........................................ 113 113 121 137 170 189 Chapter Four: The Dionysiac Experience .............................. 207 Bib1iography ................................................................................ Index Locorum ... ....................................... ....... ................ .... ..... General Index ........ ...... ....... ............ ......................... .................. 215 229 240 PREFACE This monograph represents a slightly revised version of my 1999 Cambridge Ph.D. thesis: 'Method and Madness in the Dionysaca of Nonnus'. The debts that I have incurred in the writing of this book stretch back to long before my first