enthousiasmoi

Enthousiasmoi is the transliterated plural form of the ancient Greek noun enthousiasmos, which means divine inspiration or possession. The word derives from en (in) and theos (god), and it denotes a state in which a person is thought to be inhabited or driven by a deity, enabling inspired speech, song, or action.

In classical Greek usage, enthousiasmos referred to ecstatic or inspired states experienced by poets, seers, or priests, often in the context of prophecy, ritual, or oracular utterance. Some writers contrasted this state with ekstasis, or ecstasy in the sense of leaving one’s normal consciousness, though both concepts could be described as divine influence. The plural form enthousmoi or enthousiasmoi appears in scholarly discussions to indicate multiple instances, agents, or kinds of such inspiration.

The term is primarily attested in literary and philological contexts rather than as a living feature of modern language. In contemporary English, enthusiasm, which shares the same Greek roots, is the common word used to express ardent interest or zeal, while enthousiasmos and its plural are typically encountered in academic writings on ancient religion, philosophy, and rhetoric. Enthousiasmoi thus function as a historical or scholarly label for episodes of perceived divine influence in ancient Greek culture.