Nonnus was born in Panopolis, Egypt, in the 5th century AD, and his peak should likely be placed around the years 440-490. The biographical information available about him is minimal. 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).

In the earlier and later periods of his life correspond, respectively, his works 'Dionysiaca' and 'Metabasis of the Gospel According to John'. The 'Dionysiaca' - 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. Its central theme is the campaign of the god Dionysus in India, a land he conquered as a warrior with weapons and as a god with his supernatural powers.

Alongside this central narrative, the poet unfolds a multitude of mythological episodes that cover the life of the god from his birth (and even before it) until his deification, also including many stories that are more or less related from other thematic cycles. In this way, Nonnus creates a vast and detailed summary, we might say, of Greek mythology.

The epic composition of the 'Dionysiaca' reflects, on a mythological-literary level, the campaign and conquests of Alexander the Great.