Orfeo y el orfismo en las Dionisíacas de Nono

Abstract

The thesis approaches the presence and value of orphic elements in the epic poem Dionysiaca ascribed to Nonnus of Panopolis, who lived in the fifth century A.D. Its analyzed, first, the use of Orpheus myth and a similar mythical typology in the poem, whic shows Nonnus knowledge of the tradition of Orpheus as son of Oiagrus and Calliope, founder of a specific mysteric religiosity and, mainly, prodigious singer and musician, whose ability borders on magic in multiple testimonies and which Nonnus transfers to other personages. After, the tracks of orphic theogonies in the Dionysiaca are examined. The starting point is to consider the three personages called Dionysus who take part in the poem, also each ones role is analyzed to try to explain the relationship among them. Three Dionysus question illustrates the scheme of mutual relations and influences between dionysism, orphism and some of the most representative aspects of the neoplatonic philosophy. Like the three currents, each one of the three Dionysus assumes characteristics that approach each one to the other two. Nonnus knows the orphic poems, but for him, the death of the first Dionysus lacks anthropological or soteriological implications. The poem does not allow to absolutely discard the factual prevalence of orphic rituals or beliefs, but either to affirm them. We finalize with the study of magic in the Dionysiacas and its relation with orphism. Its important to pay attention to the similarity of the rituals described with those of mysteric religions in general and the orphic one in particular, but the thesis also deals on the magical characteristics from Orpheus myth, applied to other personages who have nothing to do with him.