The Dionysiaca of Nonnus from Panopolis (5th/6th century AD), an epic about the life and deeds of the god Dionysus, is one of the most important works of late Greek antiquity. Book 12 is of particular importance within the Dionysiaca because it deals with the origin of wine, and thus the most important attribute of Dionysus. The commentary opens up the central book for the first time from a literary perspective and explains the "problematic" aspects of the Dionysiac. In doing so, he takes equal account of the unfinished state of the epic, the literary tradition and the "Dionysian" character of the work.