The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Index Database

Results for
Please note: the results are produced through a computerized process which may frequently lead to errors, both in incorrect tagging and in other issues. Please use with caution.
Due to load times, full text fetching is currently attempted for validated results only.
Full texts for Hebrew Bible and rabbinic texts is kindly supplied by Sefaria; for Greek and Latin texts, by Perseus Scaife, for the Quran, by Tanzil.net

For a list of book indices included, see here.

graph

All subjects (including unvalidated):

subject	book bibliographic info
excellence	Geljon and Runia (2013) 39, 97, 152, 155, 177, 195, 205, 242, 244 Meister (2019) 81, 82, 99, 100, 102, 103, 108, 109, 112, 113, 115, 123
excellence, acquisition of	Geljon and Runia (2013) 205, 231, 242, 244
excellence, aiginetan	Eisenfeld (2022) 63, 72, 73, 84, 181, 196
excellence, and enkrateia in xenophon, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 253, 418, 420
excellence, and material goods, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 705
excellence, and socratic happiness, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 444, 445, 446, 447, 448, 449
excellence, aretē	Brouwer (2013) 9, 38, 39, 40
excellence, aretē, as cognition	Brouwer (2013) 40
excellence, aretē, as tenor	Brouwer (2013) 40, 59
excellence, aretē, general definition of	Brouwer (2013) 39
excellence, aretē, logic as	Brouwer (2013) 40
excellence, aretē, physics as	Brouwer (2013) 40
excellence, aretē, related to cosmic nature	Brouwer (2013) 40
excellence, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 58, 267, 310, 631
excellence, argive	Eisenfeld (2022) 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111
excellence, as invention of lawgivers, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 480
excellence, athletic	Eisenfeld (2022) 92, 93, 116, 118, 131, 138, 139, 140, 144, 145, 184, 230
excellence, character, of chilton, c.w.	Long (2006) 194
excellence, civic	Eisenfeld (2022) 45, 46
excellence, competitive and cooperative, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 546
excellence, divine	Eisenfeld (2022) 242
excellence, friend of	Geljon and Runia (2013) 251
excellence, harmony, as model of psychic	Graver (2007) 73
excellence, human	Eisenfeld (2022) 23, 24, 25, 26, 43, 44, 45, 46, 63, 70, 71, 72, 73, 78, 82, 83, 84, 111, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 157, 158, 159, 160, 175, 176, 179, 190, 200
excellence, identified with knowledge, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 183, 184, 418, 420, 422
excellence, in anonymus iamblichi, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 271, 272, 273, 274, 275
excellence, in antisthenes, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 327, 328, 329, 335, 343, 351, 352, 354, 355, 356, 357, 634, 635, 636, 637
excellence, in art of love, love	Sorabji (2000) 282
excellence, in on law and justice, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 463, 464
excellence, in podalirius, poetry	Jouanna (2012) 240
excellence, in prodicus’ heracles story, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203
excellence, in pythagorean acusmata, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 8, 16
excellence, in this art, plato	Sorabji (2000) 282
excellence, individual	Eisenfeld (2022) 58, 213
excellence, inherited	Eisenfeld (2022) 43, 62, 72, 78, 86, 87, 93, 106, 113, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 228, 243
excellence, intrinsic value, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 427
excellence, logic, as an	Brouwer (2013) 40
excellence, loss of aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 421
excellence, lover of	Geljon and Runia (2013) 156, 181, 251
excellence, mantic	Eisenfeld (2022) 109, 110
excellence, medical	Eisenfeld (2022) 220, 221, 222
excellence, moral	Geljon and Runia (2019) 33, 50, 51, 52, 54, 132, 138, 139, 140, 145, 149, 153, 154, 164, 170, 198, 200, 214, 215, 247
excellence, of character	Long (2006) 6, 7, 16, 29, 30, 73, 112, 238, 364, 365, 366, 380
excellence, of creator	Hoenig (2018) 79
excellence, of odysseus, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 341
excellence, patriarchs as types of eve	Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 8, 9, 98, 99, 193, 194, 199, 200, 201
excellence, preserved in song	Eisenfeld (2022) 51, 52
excellence, reward in afterlife, aretē/-a, virtue	Wolfsdorf (2020) 552, 553
excellences, of the body	Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 134, 394, 400, 401
excellent, knowledge	Levison (2009) 75, 76
excellent, priest, of isis, addresses lucius after transformation, priest, then silent	Griffiths (1975) 256
philosophy, excellence, in	Jouanna (2012) 240

List of validated texts:

11 validated results for "excellence"

1. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 2.7-2.8, 9.20 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
Tagged with subjects: • Eve, excellence, patriarchs as types of • excellence • excellence, (moral) • excellence, acquisition of • excellence, friend of • excellence, lover of • excellence-hating • lover of, excellence

Found in books: Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 99; Geljon and Runia (2013) 39, 97, 152, 155, 156, 174, 177, 181, 195, 205, 231, 242, 244, 251; Geljon and Runia (2019) 33, 50, 52, 140, 145, 153

2.7. וַיִּיצֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן־הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה׃ 2.8. וַיִּטַּע יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים גַּן־בְעֵדֶן מִקֶּדֶם וַיָּשֶׂם שָׁם אֶת־הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר יָצָר׃' '. None

2.7. Then the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 2.8. And the LORD God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed.
9.20. And Noah, the man of the land, began and planted a vineyard.''. None

2. Hesiod, Works And Days, 287-289 (8th cent. BCE - 7th cent. BCE)
Tagged with subjects: • Eve, excellence, patriarchs as types of • aretē/-a (virtue, excellence), in Prodicus’ Heracles story

Found in books: Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 199; Wolfsdorf (2020) 200

287. τὴν μέν τοι κακότητα καὶ ἰλαδὸν ἔστιν ἑλέσθαι'288. ῥηιδίως· λείη μὲν ὁδός, μάλα δʼ ἐγγύθι ναίει· 289. τῆς δʼ ἀρετῆς ἱδρῶτα θεοὶ προπάροιθεν ἔθηκαν '. None

287. Perses, remember this, serve righteousne'288. And wholly sidestep the iniquity 289. of force. The son of Cronus made this act '. None

3. None, None, nan (6th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
Tagged with subjects: • aretē/-a (virtue, excellence), reward in afterlife • excellence, Argive • excellence, inherited • excellence, mantic

Found in books: Eisenfeld (2022) 106, 107, 108, 109, 110; Wolfsdorf (2020) 553

4. None, None, nan (6th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
Tagged with subjects: • Excellence • excellence, athletic • excellence, human

Found in books: Eisenfeld (2022) 116, 139, 140, 144, 145, 148, 149, 150; Meister (2019) 81, 109

5. Plato, Phaedrus, None (5th cent. BCE - 4th cent. BCE)
Tagged with subjects: • excellence • excellence, (moral)

Found in books: Geljon and Runia (2013) 97; Geljon and Runia (2019) 200

276e. ΦΑΙ. παγκάλην λέγεις παρὰ φαύλην παιδιάν, ὦ Σώκρατες, τοῦ ἐν λόγοις δυναμένου παίζειν, δικαιοσύνης τε καὶ ἄλλων ὧν λέγεις πέρι μυθολογοῦντα. ΣΩ. ἔστι γάρ, ὦ φίλε Φαῖδρε, οὕτω· πολὺ δʼ οἶμαι καλλίων σπουδὴ περὶ αὐτὰ γίγνεται, ὅταν τις τῇ διαλεκτικῇ τέχνῃ χρώμενος, λαβὼν ψυχὴν προσήκουσαν, φυτεύῃ τε καὶ σπείρῃ μετʼ ἐπιστήμης λόγους, οἳ ἑαυτοῖς τῷ τε φυτεύσαντι''. None

276e. Phaedrus. A noble pastime, Socrates, and a contrast to those base pleasures, the pastime of the man who can find amusement in discourse, telling stories about justice, and the other subjects of which you speak. Socrates. Yes, Phaedrus, so it is; but, in my opinion, serious discourse about them is far nobler, when one employs the dialectic method and plants and sows in a fitting soul intelligent words which are able to help themselves and him''. None

6. Xenophon, Memoirs, 3.9.1-3.9.3 (5th cent. BCE - 4th cent. BCE)
Tagged with subjects: • Eve, excellence, patriarchs as types of • aretē/-a (virtue, excellence), identified with knowledge

Found in books: Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 194; Wolfsdorf (2020) 184

3.9.1. πάλιν δὲ ἐρωτώμενος ἡ ἀνδρεία πότερον εἴη διδακτὸν ἢ φυσικόν, οἶμαι μέν, ἔφη, ὥσπερ σῶμα σώματος ἰσχυρότερον πρὸς τοὺς πόνους φύεται, οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴν ψυχῆς ἐρρωμενεστέραν πρὸς τὰ δεινὰ φύσει γίγνεσθαι· ὁρῶ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς νόμοις τε καὶ ἔθεσι τρεφομένους πολὺ διαφέροντας ἀλλήλων τόλμῃ. 3.9.2. νομίζω μέντοι πᾶσαν φύσιν μαθήσει καὶ μελέτῃ πρὸς ἀνδρείαν αὔξεσθαι· δῆλον μὲν γὰρ ὅτι Σκύθαι καὶ Θρᾷκες οὐκ ἂν τολμήσειαν ἀσπίδας καὶ δόρατα λαβόντες Λακεδαιμονίοις διαμάχεσθαι· φανερὸν δʼ ὅτι Λακεδαιμόνιοι οὔτʼ ἂν Θρᾳξὶ πέλταις καὶ ἀκοντίοις οὔτε Σκύθαις τόξοις ἐθέλοιεν ἂν διαγωνίζεσθαι. 3.9.3. ὁρῶ δʼ ἔγωγε καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων πάντων ὁμοίως καὶ φύσει διαφέροντας ἀλλήλων τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἐπιμελείᾳ πολὺ ἐπιδιδόντας. ἐκ δὲ τούτων δῆλόν ἐστιν ὅτι πάντας χρὴ καὶ τοὺς εὐφυεστέρους καὶ τοὺς ἀμβλυτέρους τὴν φύσιν, ἐν οἷς ἂν ἀξιόλογοι βούλωνται γενέσθαι, ταῦτα καὶ μανθάνειν καὶ μελετᾶν.''. None

3.9.1. When asked again whether Courage could be taught or came by nature, he replied: I think that just as one man’s body is naturally stronger than another’s for labour, so one man’s soul is naturally braver than another’s in danger. For I notice that men brought up under the same laws and customs differ widely in daring. 3.9.2. Nevertheless, I think that every man’s nature acquires more courage by learning and practice. of course Scythians and Thracians would not dare to take bronze shield and spear and fight Lacedaemonians; and of course Lacedaemonians would not be willing to face Thracians with leather shields and javelins, nor Scythians with bows for weapons. 3.9.3. And similarly in all other points, I find that human beings naturally differ one from another and greatly improve by application. Hence it is clear that all men, whatever their natural gifts, the talented and the dullards alike, must learn and practise what they want to excel in. ''. None

7. Philo of Alexandria, On Curses, 36, 40 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • Eve, excellence, patriarchs as types of • excellence • excellence, (moral)

Found in books: Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 201; Geljon and Runia (2013) 152; Geljon and Runia (2019) 154

36. For if man is the measure of all things, then, also, all things are a grace and a free gift of the mind; so that we refer to the eye the grace of sight, to the ears that of hearing, and to each of the other external senses their appropriate object, and also to the speech and utterance do we attribute the power of speaking. And if we judge in this manner of these things, so also do we with respect to intelligence, in which ten thousand things are comprised, such as thoughts, perceptions, designs, meditations, conceptions, sciences, arts, dispositions, and a number of other faculties almost incalculable. '
40. But as after Cain had begotten Enoch, one of the posterity of Seth is also subsequently called Enoch, it may be well to consider, whether the two namesakes were men of different or of similar dispositions and characters. And at the same time that we examine this question let us also investigate the differences between other persons bearing the same name. For as Enoch was, so also Methusaleh and Lamech were both descendants of Cain, and they were no less the descendants of Seth also. '. None

8. Philo of Alexandria, On Dreams, 2.244 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • excellence (aretē), as tenor • excellence, lover of • lover of, excellence

Found in books: Brouwer (2013) 59; Geljon and Runia (2013) 156

2.244. for those who behold the excellence of Abraham say unto him, "Thou art a king, sent from God among Us:" proposing as a maxim, for those who study philosophy, that the wise man alone is a ruler and a king, and that virtue is the only irresponsible authority and sovereignty. XXXVII. ''. None

9. Philo of Alexandria, On The Virtues, 221 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • excellence, (moral) • the body, excellences of

Found in books: Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 400; Geljon and Runia (2019) 170

221. for Tamar was a woman from Syria Palestina, who had been bred up in her own native city, which was devoted to the worship of many gods, being full of statues, and images, and, in short, of idols of every kind and description. But when she, emerging, as it were, out of profound darkness, was able to see a slight beam of truth, she then, at the risk of her life, exerted all her energies to arrive at piety, caring little for life if she could not live virtuously; and living virtuously was exactly identical with living for the service of and in constant supplication to the one true God. ''. None

10. None, None, nan (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • excellence • excellence, (moral)

Found in books: Geljon and Runia (2013) 97; Geljon and Runia (2019) 215

11. Diogenes Laertius, Lives of The Philosophers, 7.87, 7.122 (3rd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • excellence (aretē) • excellence (aretē), as cognition • excellence (aretē), as tenor • excellence (aretē), logic as • excellence (aretē), physics as • excellence (aretē), related to cosmic nature • excellence, (moral) • excellence, lover of • logic, as an excellence • lover of, excellence

Found in books: Brouwer (2013) 40, 59; Geljon and Runia (2013) 156; Geljon and Runia (2019) 164

7.87. This is why Zeno was the first (in his treatise On the Nature of Man) to designate as the end life in agreement with nature (or living agreeably to nature), which is the same as a virtuous life, virtue being the goal towards which nature guides us. So too Cleanthes in his treatise On Pleasure, as also Posidonius, and Hecato in his work On Ends. Again, living virtuously is equivalent to living in accordance with experience of the actual course of nature, as Chrysippus says in the first book of his De finibus; for our individual natures are parts of the nature of the whole universe.' "
7.122. though indeed there is also a second form of slavery consisting in subordination, and a third which implies possession of the slave as well as his subordination; the correlative of such servitude being lordship; and this too is evil. Moreover, according to them not only are the wise free, they are also kings; kingship being irresponsible rule, which none but the wise can maintain: so Chrysippus in his treatise vindicating Zeno's use of terminology. For he holds that knowledge of good and evil is a necessary attribute of the ruler, and that no bad man is acquainted with this science. Similarly the wise and good alone are fit to be magistrates, judges, or orators, whereas among the bad there is not one so qualified."'. None

Please note: the results are produced through a computerized process which may frequently lead to errors, both in incorrect tagging and in other issues. Please use with caution.
Due to load times, full text fetching is currently attempted for validated results only.
Full texts for Hebrew Bible and rabbinic texts is kindly supplied by Sefaria; for Greek and Latin texts, by Perseus Scaife, for the Quran, by Tanzil.net

For a list of book indices included, see here.

Tiresias: The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Source Database