Xenia, in Ancient Greece, is defined as the idea of hospitality, a topic of much importance. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, Odysseus and his crew rely majorly on courtesy from those involved in the encounters. However, hospitality was not always delivered throughout his journey, a crime with the severity of being punished by the gods. Odysseus encountered two types of lacking hospitality, purposeful, such as on Polyphemus’ Island and the suitors upon Odysseus’ return, which often ended in violence, or trickery, like with the Lotus Eaters and Circe’s Island.
For Ancient Greece, treating strangers with hospitality is expected. In Odysseus’s recent encounters, he was washed up on the shore of Phaeacia and was welcomed by the king and queen. Though Odysseus is a stranger upon the land of Phaeacia, kindness and aid is brought to him with the words of Alcinoüs, the King of Phaeacia, “I will fix your setting forth, and you may rest secure… until you reach your land and home or anywhere you please.” Treating travelers kindly was quite common in Ancient Greece, thus making “The Odyssey” quite relatable to its listeners. For if you are kind to your visitor, not only will your land receive a good reputation, it also aids in the advancement of trade and culture.
The pathos and ethos of cultures is often discernable in literary narratives as expressions of the sentiment of approval or disapproval. Thus, the impact of literary narratives on cultures cannot be understated; the arts do impact and influence culture in both positive and negative ways. This is not a new phenomenon and can be observed in cultures as early as 6 Century B.C. and can be traced throughout human history. An example of this can be seen in Homer’s Odyssey, in which there are certain characters within the narrative that portray what is known as “arete.” Arete is viewed as a desirable character trait which some define as the display of perseverance, quick-wittedness, prowess, valor, etc.
In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, ancient Greeks depend on strangers to fulfill hospitality needs when traveling. In this epic and in Greek society, xenia is the ancient Greek form of hospitality, the generosity and courtesy shown to those who are far from home, and/or associates of the person bestowing guest-friendship. Without xenia, Odysseus would never have arrived home from the distant land of Troy where he fights in the Trojan War. Plus, people who didn’t show xenia eventually are punished by the gods like the suitors (sly, disloyal men who pursue women and have a different view of marriage) that are killed by Odysseus because of their wickedness. Although the rules of xenia are broken many times in The Odyssey, there are even more examples
This passage that is spoken by Eumaeus represents two themes. The first is the theme of hospitality. Throughout The Odyssey, a common theme of hospitality has been shown. Eumaeus has welcomed the traveler into his home and has given him shelter and food despite the fact that he has little to offer. Compared to some of the other people that have hosted Odysseus,
Hospitality and kindness played a major role in Greek society and this is clear throughout Homer’s writing. In his epic, The Odyssey, Homer creates two groups, those who are kind and hospitable, and those who are not. Those who are hospitable are respected and thought highly off, while those who violate the laws of kindness eventually end up punished. During his long and treacherous journey back home to Ithica, Odysseus experiences many forms of hospitality. Some of these shows of hospitality are need and generous, while others are not.
From Odysseus’ time with Calypso in Ogygia up until the moment he takes back his home and wife from the suitors in Ithaca, the struggles he faces help answer what makes for a good life. Homer uses Odysseus’ journey throughout “The Odyssey” to identify four aspects of a good life: mortality, honor, hospitality, and experiences. Homer reveals that mortality is necessary for a good life when Odysseus denies the opportunity for immortality that Calypso offers, he shows the significance of honor in his description of Odysseus’ bravery in the Trojan war and the consequent respect that Odysseus’ crew has for him, Homer reinforces the importance of hospitality in each city Odysseus travels to, and he conveys that experiences, good or bad, define a good life. The Greeks held their gods in high esteem and therefore when Homer or other characters in the epic refer to Odysseus as being “godlike,” this is one of the highest compliments he could receive.
While many would argue that the human species officially embarked on the journey to “conquer” nature at the inception of the Industrial Revolution, with men bending nature to suit their purposes on an unprecedented scale, the seeds of such sentiments to surpass nature with created culture had been planted hundreds of thousands of years ago. With a casual overview of human history, one can see that the idea of bending elements of nature to human will rose as early as hundreds of thousands of years ago, perhaps when homo erectus first started cooking food with fire. The idea of the cultural death, the burning of one’s body to prevent one from being consumed by the elements of nature that occupies a most illustrious position in the Homeric world, can be dated back to roughly 20,000 years ago (Lake Mungo remains), the currently earliest recorded act of cremating the dead. Homer frequently juxtaposes aspects of nature and culture in his work. In the Odyssey, Homer juxtaposes the society of Cyclops with the civilized human society, demonstrating the stark differences between a naturalistic and a cultural society.
What is the definition of a good person? The view of a good person changes as time goes on. However, the Odyssey is still the foundation of human morality. The Odyssey, created by Homer, is an ancient telling of a man named Odysseus and his journey home from the Trojan War. The morals found in the Odyssey show readers the benefit of being able to view situations from multiple points of view.
The concept of hospitality is clearly evident in society to this day. From the royal treatment of kings and queens to the warm welcomes shown by families, the Greek culture was no exception to this idea. As demonstrated in The Odyssey, a sense of respect was presented not only towards the Greek gods but also to the mortals themselves. Characters such as Odysseus rely on the hospitality of others for food, shelter, guidance and protection. Without it, many characters wouldn't have survived as they were often stranded in distant lands.
The Odyssey begins as Odysseus leaves an island he was trapped on for 10 years to go back to his hometown, Ithaca. However, we do not know if he will make it back, as it is highly probable that he will die. The Odyssey is a Greek Epic involving some of their ancient Gods. On the way to Ithaca Odysseus faces many challenges while his wife deals with challenges of her own at their house. Suitors have taken over Odysseus’s home, and are all trying to marry Odysseus’s wife, Penelope.
We are proud of the love we give and receive, for our children and the habits, emotional responses, obligations and values that we teach them. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is no different and the importance of his family is demonstrated as he weeps tears of sadness in their absence and rejects Calypso’s offer of immortality in exchange for his companionship. “‘My lady goddess, here is no cause for anger. My quiet Penelope—how well I know—would seem a shade before your majesty, death
In American society, there is an ongoing list of political ideologies. These political ideologies range anywhere from the commitment to traditional values (conservatism), to the freedom and openness to change (liberalism). Whether it is authoritarian conservative, anarchism, socialism, progressivism, pluralism, toleration, etc., everyone is entitled to their own views. After doing research on several ideologies, I found myself closely associated with liberalism.
Xenia, The Law of Hospitality The theme of Xenia was one of the most spotted out in The Odyssey, which is the Law of Hospitality. The Law of Hospitality is being polite to strangers who need assistance but it is more than it’s a host and guest relationship. Xenia is seen throughout The Odyssey. Xenia provides an effort of making the community a safer and better community.
“The focus of entertaining is impressing others; the focus of true hospitality is serving others” - Tim Chester. More specifically, in Greek culture, it is the practice of friendly reception, creating new alliances with strangers, avoiding unnecessary enemies, and impressing the Gods. Throughout the epic The Odyssey by Homer, this motif is used in both positive and negative ways. As Odysseus’ tale unfolds, Homer tells about his journeys in which some people have specifically disregarded hospitality, while others are very gracious and kind. In addition, the people receiving this hospitality can also respond negatively or positively.
