Myth, Religion, Tradition and Narrative in Late Antique Greek Poetry

The volume shows the manifold themes of Greek poetry in Late Antiquity. Pagan and Christian concepts merge in the works of Nonnus of Panopolis and in the “Ekphrasis” of John of Gaza, the poems of George of Pisidia are read against the background of late antique philosophy and the autobiographies of Gregory of Nazianzus as literary forms of expression. The ekphrastic narrative techniques of Quintus Smyrnaeus and the composition of characters in Colluthus are analyzed, and Lycophron is proved as another source of Nonnus’ “Dionysiaka”. The contributions also deal with mythological characters, cyclopes and elephants, and late antique epigrammatic poetry is contextualized in the cultural and literary environment of the time.