Short answers, pulled from the story.
Nonnus of Panopolis lived in the 5th century AD as a native of Panopolis, also known as Akhmim, located in Upper Egypt within the region called the Thebaid. Scholars generally place his active years from the end of the 4th century to the central decades of the 5th century.
The principal work of Nonnus is the 48-book epic titled Dionysiaca, recognized as the longest surviving poem from classical antiquity. This massive text contains exactly 20,426 lines composed entirely in Homeric Greek using dactylic hexameter meter.
Nonnus uses a higher proportion of dactyls than earlier poets while employing less elision to create a stiffer yet more deliberate rhythmic flow. He combines these structural choices with subtle alliteration and assonance to produce unique musicality within the verse structure.
The terminus post quem for the creation of the Paraphrase of John is the commentary on the Gospel of John written by Cyril of Alexandria between 425 and 428. The timing remains debated among scholars who study the text closely.
Modern scholarship overturned early dismissals that labeled his work poor quality due to sheer length and complexity by demonstrating consummate literary skill despite baroque extravagance. Current consensus acknowledges that his distinct style represents a sophisticated evolution rather than a decline in poetic ability.