The beautiful joyousness of their polytheism is only a poetic modern fiction. (religion-online.org)
The gospel traditions are unanimous on this point; the early Church has to give reasons for the practice of fasting (Mark 2.20; Didache 1.3), itself something demanding explanation, since fasting is such a normal feature of ancient piety; and the parables reflect a note of joyousness in which fasting would be quite out of place. (religion-online.org)
There was indeed much joyousness among the Greeks — Homer's flow of enthusiasm for most things that the sun shines upon is steady. (religion-online.org)