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
happiness/joy	Kazantzidis and Spatharas (2012) 38, 76, 154, 217, 261
joy	Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 123, 124, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330 Graver (2007) 52, 53, 194, 204, 227 Griffiths (1975) 1, 168 Maier and Waldner (2022) 6, 25, 144, 148, 149, 150, 162, 167 Meister (2019) 2, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 35, 53, 74, 87, 112, 113, 116, 124, 125, 128 Rohmann (2016) 136, 162, 163, 170, 174, 185, 186, 192 Wilson (2010) 147, 178, 179, 222, 395 Wilson (2012) 268, 278, 286, 292, 355, 378, 390, 398
joy, absence of for sinners	Stuckenbruck (2007) 196, 359, 374, 486, 492
joy, and religion	Jouanna (2018) 63, 64
joy, and, god	Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 326, 327, 329
joy, as right action	Graver (2007) 230
joy, brought by noah	Stuckenbruck (2007) 675, 688
joy, chara	Wolfsdorf (2020) 204, 205, 206
joy, chara, lat., good passions, eupatheiai, feeling gaudium	Brouwer (2013) 34, 89
joy, connolly	König (2012) 48 Oksanish (2019) 24, 28, 29
joy, disturbed by sudden, joy,	Griffiths (1975) 12
joy, divine	Schibli (2002) 256, 268
joy, dorotheus of gaza, and	Dilley (2019) 209, 210
joy, emotion, happiness or	Nuno et al (2021) 8
joy, eupatheiai, equanimous states, euphrosunē, a kind of	Sorabji (2000) 48, 387
joy, eupatheiai, equanimous states, gaudium	Sorabji (2000) 398
joy, eupatheiai, equanimous states, involves a kind of euphrosunē	Sorabji (2000) 388
joy, eupatheiai, equanimous states, khara	Sorabji (2000) 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 387
joy, euphrosunē, a kind of	Sorabji (2000) 48, 387
joy, for the righteous	Stuckenbruck (2007) 74, 200, 202, 221, 285, 293, 513, 518, 522, 525, 587, 590, 599, 600
joy, former troubles and present, joys,	Griffiths (1975) 271
joy, gaudium	Mueller (2002) 72, 73
joy, god bestowing	Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 54, 124, 326, 328, 330
joy, in mystery cult, transition to	Seaford (2018) 359
joy, in mystic initiation, transition to	Seaford (2018) 216, 219, 221, 334, 371, 375
joy, in philo	Graver (2007) 104, 238
joy, isaac symbolizing	Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 123, 253, 308, 326, 328
joy, isis, providence of brings	Griffiths (1975) 15, 253
joy, khara, latin gaudium, stoic eupatheia	Sorabji (2000) 47, 48, 49, 50, 51
joy, khara, latin gaudium, stoic eupatheia, retained by christians even in next life, augustine	Sorabji (2000) 398
joy, khara, latin gaudium, stoic eupatheia, shed by perfected christians, clement of alexandria	Sorabji (2000) 387
joy, laetitia, gratulatio	Nisula (2012) 33, 178, 197, 203
joy, laetus	Mueller (2002) 41, 72, 73, 104, 105, 113, 114, 126, 129, 130, 132, 133, 134, 135, 138, 139
joy, littlewood	Williams and Vol (2022) 52, 54
joy, love, clement of alexandria, love for god as involving euphrosunē, a kind of	Sorabji (2000) 388
joy, lucius urged to be filled with	Griffiths (1975) 29
joy, malicious, schadenfreude	Riess (2012) 57
joy, of angels	Stuckenbruck (2007) 200, 563, 575
joy, of animals, houses and day itself	Griffiths (1975) 7, 169
joy, of god	Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 5, 55, 123, 124, 326, 327, 328, 329, 332 Stuckenbruck (2007) 268
joy, of relatives and servants, joy, sudden	Griffiths (1975) 18
joy, of/with, angels	Stuckenbruck (2007) 200, 201, 268, 303, 306, 307, 522, 575
joy, power and	Mermelstein (2021) 129, 130, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 255, 256
joy, rejoicing	Rubenstein(1995) 4, 14, 35, 36, 51, 52, 53, 54, 68, 71, 81, 106, 112, 116, 117, 131, 132, 135, 138, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 148, 149, 154, 156, 160, 182, 186, 188, 191, 226, 253, 260, 263, 270, 273, 277, 283, 284, 285, 288, 290, 291, 292, 296, 298, 300, 313, 316, 319, 323, 324
joy, rejoicing in providence of isis	Griffiths (1975) 15, 253
joy, sacrifice of isaac and	Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 123, 124, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 332
joy, seneca, on	Graver (2007) 52, 53
joy, shout of	Albrecht (2014) 211
joy, sudden and mighty, joy,	Griffiths (1975) 14
joy, sunday, christians devote to	Sider (2001) 35
joy, symbolized by, isaac	Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 123, 253, 308, 326, 328
joyful, heart at behest of great gods, initiation, third, lucius compelled to undergo, to be accepted with	Griffiths (1975) 29
joyful, heart, joy, and accept third initiation with	Griffiths (1975) 29, 339
joyfully, carried out, joy, duties of pastophorus	Griffiths (1975) 162, 345
joys, related, troubles, and	Griffiths (1975) 271

List of validated texts:

12 validated results for "joy"

1. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 18.11-18.12 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
Tagged with subjects: • God, joy and • Isaac, joy symbolized by • joy • joy, God bestowing • joy, Isaac symbolizing • joy, in Philo • joy, of God • joy, sacrifice of Isaac and

Found in books: Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 124, 253, 327, 328, 330, 332; Graver (2007) 104

18.11. וְאַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה זְקֵנִים בָּאִים בַּיָּמִים חָדַל לִהְיוֹת לְשָׂרָה אֹרַח כַּנָּשִׁים׃ 18.12. וַתִּצְחַק שָׂרָה בְּקִרְבָּהּ לֵאמֹר אַחֲרֵי בְלֹתִי הָיְתָה־לִּי עֶדְנָה וַאדֹנִי זָקֵן׃''. None

18.11. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.— 18.12. And Sarah laughed within herself, saying: ‘After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?’''. None

2. Sophocles, Ajax, 394-395 (5th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
Tagged with subjects: • happiness/joy • mystic initiation, transition to joy in

Found in books: Kazantzidis and Spatharas (2012) 154; Seaford (2018) 219

394. Ah, Darkness, my light!'395. O Gloom of the underworld, to my eyes brightest-shining, take me, take me to dwell with you—yes, take me. I am no longer worthy to look for help to the race of the gods, '. None

3. Xenophon, Memoirs, 2.1.24, 2.1.31, 2.1.33 (5th cent. BCE - 4th cent. BCE)
Tagged with subjects: • Littlewood, Joy • chara (joy)

Found in books: Williams and Vol (2022) 54; Wolfsdorf (2020) 204, 205, 206

2.1.24. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ οὐ πολέμων οὐδὲ πραγμάτων φροντιεῖς, ἀλλὰ σκοπούμενος διέσῃ τί ἂν κεχαρισμένον ἢ σιτίον ἢ ποτὸν εὕροις, ἢ τί ἂν ἰδὼν ἢ ἀκούσας τερφθείης ἢ τίνων ὀσφραινόμενος ἢ ἁπτόμενος, τίσι δὲ παιδικοῖς ὁμιλῶν μάλιστʼ ἂν εὐφρανθείης, καὶ πῶς ἂν μαλακώτατα καθεύδοις, καὶ πῶς ἂν ἀπονώτατα τούτων πάντων τυγχάνοις.
2.1.31. ἀθάνατος δὲ οὖσα ἐκ θεῶν μὲν ἀπέρριψαι, ὑπὸ δὲ ἀνθρώπων ἀγαθῶν ἀτιμάζῃ· τοῦ δὲ πάντων ἡδίστου ἀκούσματος, ἐπαίνου σεαυτῆς, ἀνήκοος εἶ, καὶ τοῦ πάντων ἡδίστου θεάματος ἀθέατος· οὐδὲν γὰρ πώποτε σεαυτῆς ἔργον καλὸν τεθέασαι. τίς δʼ ἄν σοι λεγούσῃ τι πιστεύσειε; τίς δʼ ἂν δεομένῃ τινὸς ἐπαρκέσειεν; ἢ τίς ἂν εὖ φρονῶν τοῦ σοῦ θιάσου τολμήσειεν εἶναι; οἳ νέοι μὲν ὄντες τοῖς σώμασιν ἀδύνατοί εἰσι, πρεσβύτεροι δὲ γενόμενοι ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἀνόητοι, ἀπόνως μὲν λιπαροὶ διὰ νεότητος τρεφόμενοι, ἐπιπόνως δὲ αὐχμηροὶ διὰ γήρως περῶντες, τοῖς μὲν πεπραγμένοις αἰσχυνόμενοι, τοῖς δὲ πραττομένοις βαρυνόμενοι, τὰ μὲν ἡδέα ἐν τῇ νεότητι διαδραμόντες, τὰ δὲ χαλεπὰ εἰς τὸ γῆρας ἀποθέμενοι.
2.1.33. ἔστι δὲ τοῖς μὲν ἐμοῖς φίλοις ἡδεῖα μὲν καὶ ἀπράγμων σίτων καὶ ποτῶν ἀπόλαυσις· ἀνέχονται γὰρ ἕως ἂν ἐπιθυμήσωσιν αὐτῶν· ὕπνος δʼ αὐτοῖς πάρεστιν ἡδίων ἢ τοῖς ἀμόχθοις, καὶ οὔτε ἀπολείποντες αὐτὸν ἄχθονται οὔτε διὰ τοῦτον μεθιᾶσι τὰ δέοντα πράττειν. καὶ οἱ μὲν νέοι τοῖς τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἐπαίνοις χαίρουσιν, οἱ δὲ γεραίτεροι ταῖς τῶν νέων τιμαῖς ἀγάλλονται· καὶ ἡδέως μὲν τῶν παλαιῶν πράξεων μέμνηνται, εὖ δὲ τὰς παρούσας ἥδονται πράττοντες, διʼ ἐμὲ φίλοι μὲν θεοῖς ὄντες, ἀγαπητοὶ δὲ φίλοις, τίμιοι δὲ πατρίσιν· ὅταν δʼ ἔλθῃ τὸ πεπρωμένον τέλος, οὐ μετὰ λήθης ἄτιμοι κεῖνται, ἀλλὰ μετὰ μνήμης τὸν ἀεὶ χρόνον ὑμνούμενοι θάλλουσι. τοιαῦτά σοι, ὦ παῖ τοκέων ἀγαθῶν Ἡράκλεις, ἔξεστι διαπονησαμένῳ τὴν μακαριστοτάτην εὐδαιμονίαν κεκτῆσθαι.''. None

2.1.24. First, of wars and worries you shall not think, but shall ever be considering what choice food or drink you can find, what sight or sound will delight you, what touch or perfume; what tender love can give you most joy, what bed the softest slumbers; and how to come by all these pleasures with least trouble.
2.1.31. Immortal art thou, yet the outcast of the gods, the scorn of good men. Praise, sweetest of all things to hear, thou hearest not: the sweetest of all sights thou beholdest not, for never yet hast thou beheld a good work wrought by thyself. Who will believe what thou dost say? who will grant what thou dost ask? Or what sane man will dare join thy throng? While thy votaries are young their bodies are weak, when they wax old, their souls are without sense; idle and sleek they thrive in youth, withered and weary they journey through old age, and their past deeds bring them shame, their present deeds distress. Pleasure they ran through in their youth: hardship they laid up for their old age.
2.1.33. To my friends meat and drink bring sweet and simple enjoyment: for they wait till they crave them. And a sweeter sleep falls on them than on idle folk: they are not vexed at awaking from it, nor for its sake do they neglect to do their duties. The young rejoice to win the praise of the old; the elders are glad to be honoured by the young; with joy they recall their deeds past, and their present well-doing is joy to them, for through me they are dear to the gods, lovely to friends, precious to their native land. And when comes the appointed end, they lie not forgotten and dishonoured, but live on, sung and remembered for all time. O Heracles, thou son of goodly parents, if thou wilt labour earnestly on this wise, thou mayest have for thine own the most blessed happiness. ''. None

4. Septuagint, Ecclesiasticus (Siracides), 2.9 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
Tagged with subjects: • Joy, For the Righteous • joy

Found in books: Hockey (2019) 212; Stuckenbruck (2007) 285

2.9. you who fear the Lord, hope for good things,for everlasting joy and mercy.''. None

5. None, None, nan (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)
Tagged with subjects: • Eupatheiai, equanimous states, Khara (joy) • Joy (khara, Latin gaudium),Stoic eupatheia • joy • joy, • joy, as right action

Found in books: Graver (2007) 204, 227, 230; Sorabji (2000) 49; Wilson (2010) 178

6. Philo of Alexandria, On The Migration of Abraham, 157 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • joy • joy, • joy, God bestowing • joy, sacrifice of Isaac and

Found in books: Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 330; Wilson (2010) 179

157. For exceeding joy, the best of all feelings, falling on the soul when completely unexpected, makes it greater than it was before, so that the body can no longer contain it by reason of its bulk and magnitude; and so, being closely packed and pressed down, it distils drops which it is the fashion to call tears, concerning which it is said in the Psalms, "Thou shalt give me to eat bread steeped in Tears;" and again, "My tears have been my bread day and Night;" for the food of the mind are tears as are visible, proceeding from laughter seated internally and excited by virtuous causes, when the divine desire instilled into our hearts changes the song which was merely the lament of the creature into the hymn of the uncreated God. XXIX. ''. None

7. None, None, nan (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • Eupatheiai, equanimous states, Khara (joy) • God, joy and • Isaac, joy symbolized by • Joy (khara, Latin gaudium),Stoic eupatheia • joy • joy, God bestowing • joy, Isaac symbolizing • joy, in Philo • joy, of God • joy, sacrifice of Isaac and

Found in books: Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 328, 329, 331; Graver (2007) 238; Sorabji (2000) 51

8. New Testament, 1 Peter, 1.13 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • Joy, For the Righteous • joy • joy, object of

Found in books: Hockey (2019) 121, 253; Stuckenbruck (2007) 285

1.13. Διὸ ἀναζωσάμενοι τὰς ὀσφύας τῆς διανοίας ὑμῶν, νήφοντες τελείως, ἐλπίσατε ἐπὶ τὴν φερομένην ὑμῖν χάριν ἐν ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.''. None

1.13. Therefore, prepare your minds for action, be sober and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ -- ''. None

9. New Testament, Luke, 10.17-10.20 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • Angels, Joy of/with • Joy • Joy, of Angels • Shout of joy

Found in books: Albrecht (2014) 211; Rohmann (2016) 136; Stuckenbruck (2007) 575

10.17. Ὑπέστρεψαν δὲ οἱ ἑβδομήκοντα δύο μετὰ χαρᾶς λέγοντες Κύριε, καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια ὑποτάσσεται ἡμῖν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου. 10.18. εἶπεν δὲ αὐτοῖς Ἐθεώρουν τὸν Σατανᾶν ὡς ἀστραπὴν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πεσόντα. 10.19. ἰδοὺ δέδωκα ὑμῖν τὴν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, καὶ οὐδὲν ὑμᾶς οὐ μὴ ἀδικήσει. 10.20. πλὴν ἐν τούτῳ μὴ χαίρετε ὅτι τὰ πνεύματα ὑμῖν ὑποτάσσεται, χαίρετε δὲ ὅτι τὰ ὀνόματα ὑμῶν ἐνγέγραπται ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.''. None

10.17. The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" 10.18. He said to them, "I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven. 10.19. Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you. 10.20. Nevertheless, don\'t rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."''. None

10. Seneca The Younger, Letters, 23.4, 23.6, 27.3, 59.2, 59.16 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • Eupatheiai, equanimous states, Khara (joy) • Joy (khara, Latin gaudium),Stoic eupatheia • Seneca, on joy • action-tendency, of joy • appraisal, of joy • divine joy • joy • joy, as right action • joy, characteristics of • joy, enduring • joy, in Greco-Roman sources • joy, object of • joy, subcatergories of

Found in books: Graver (2007) 53, 230; Hockey (2019) 106, 108, 110, 128; Schibli (2002) 268; Sorabji (2000) 49; Wilson (2012) 278

23.4. Real joy, believe me, is a stern matter. Can one, do you think, despise death with a care-free countece, or with a "blithe and gay" expression, as our young dandies are accustomed to say? Or can one thus open his door to poverty, or hold the curb on his pleasures, or contemplate the endurance of pain? He who ponders these things1 in his heart is indeed full of joy; but it is not a cheerful joy. It is just this joy, however, of which I would have you become the owner; for it will never fail you when once you have found its source.
23.6. Therefore I pray you, my dearest Lucilius, do the one thing that can render you really happy: cast aside and trample under foot all those things that glitter outwardly and are held out to you2 by another or as obtainable from another; look toward the true good, and rejoice only in that which comes from your own store. And what do I mean by "from your own store"? I mean from your very self, that which is the best part of you. The frail body, also, even though we can accomplish nothing without it, is to be regarded as necessary rather than as important; it involves us in vain pleasures, short-lived, and soon to be regretted, which, unless they are reined in by extreme self-control, will be transformed into the opposite. This is what I mean: pleasure, unless it has been kept within bounds, tends to rush headlong into the abyss of sorrow. But it is hard to keep within bounds in that which you believe to be good. The real good may be coveted with safety.
27.3. Cast about rather for some good which will abide. But there can be no such good except as the soul discovers it for itself within itself. Virtue alone affords everlasting and peace-giving joy; even if some obstacle arise, it is but like an intervening cloud, which floats beneath the sun but never prevails against it."
59.2. I am aware that if we test words by our formula,1 even pleasure is a thing of ill repute, and joy can be attained only by the wise. For "joy" is an elation of spirit, – of a spirit which trusts in the goodness and truth of its own possessions. The common usage, however, is that we derive great "joy" from a friend\'s position as consul, or from his marriage, or from the birth of his child; but these events, so far from being matters of joy, are more often the beginnings of sorrow to come. No, it is a characteristic of real joy that it never ceases, and never changes into its opposite.2
59.16. Reflect, therefore, on this, that the effect of wisdom is a joy that is unbroken and continuous.11 The mind of the wise man is like the ultra-lunar firmament;12 eternal calm pervades that region. You have, then, a reason for wishing to be wise, if the wise man is never deprived of joy. This joy springs only from the knowledge that you possess the virtues. None but the brave, the just, the self-restrained, can rejoice. ''. None

11. Diogenes Laertius, Lives of The Philosophers, 7.116 (3rd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • Eupatheiai, equanimous states, Euphrosunē (a kind of joy) • Eupatheiai, equanimous states, Khara (joy) • Euphrosunē, a kind of joy • Joy (khara, Latin gaudium),Stoic eupatheia • good passions (eupatheiai), feeling joy (chara, Lat., gaudium) • joy • joy, definition of • joy, in Greco-Roman sources • joy, subcatergories of

Found in books: Brouwer (2013) 89; Hockey (2019) 107, 109; Sorabji (2000) 48

7.116. Also they say that there are three emotional states which are good, namely, joy, caution, and wishing. Joy, the counterpart of pleasure, is rational elation; caution, the counterpart of fear, rational avoidance; for though the wise man will never feel fear, he will yet use caution. And they make wishing the counterpart of desire (or craving), inasmuch as it is rational appetency. And accordingly, as under the primary passions are classed certain others subordinate to them, so too is it with the primary eupathies or good emotional states. Thus under wishing they bring well-wishing or benevolence, friendliness, respect, affection; under caution, reverence and modesty; under joy, delight, mirth, cheerfulness.''. None

12. None, None, nan
Tagged with subjects: • God, joy and • Isaac, joy symbolized by • divine joy • joy • joy, God bestowing • joy, Isaac symbolizing • joy, of God • joy, sacrifice of Isaac and

Found in books: Birnbaum and Dillon (2020) 326; Schibli (2002) 268

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