Nonnus was born in Panopolis, Egypt in the 5th century AD, and his peak should likely be placed in the years 440-490. The biographical information available about him is very limited. It seems to be a real fact that the pagan Nonnus became a Christian towards the end of his life (although there is no reliable evidence regarding this).

His earlier and later periods correspond, respectively, to his works 'Dionysiacs' and 'Metabole of the Gospel according to John'. The 'Dionysiacs' - an epic consisting of 48 books, written in hexameter verses - is his main and most well-known work, identified with the name of its creator.

It has as its main theme the campaign of the god Dionysus in India, the country he conquered both as a warrior with weapons and as a god with his supernatural powers. Alongside this central premise, the poet unfolds a multitude of mythological episodes, covering the life of the god from his birth (and even before it) to his deification, also including many, more or less relevant, stories from other thematic cycles.

In this way, Nonnus creates a very broad and detailed summary, we might say, of Greek mythology. The epic composition of the Dionysiacs reflects, on a mythological-literary level, the campaigns and conquests of Alexander the Great.