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Hospitality In Homer's The Odyssey

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Hospitality is a courteous way that guests are treated in a stranger’s home. When a person enters someone’s home for the first time, their first impression will be based off the owner’s hospitality. If the host shows respect and care for the guest, the guest will feel admired. If the host shows discourteous, lack of respect, the guest will have a negative impression of the host. In Greek mythology, showing good hospitality (or also known as xenia) was important. Throughout Homer’s epic “The Odyssey” there were good Hospitality is a key variable in the tradition of Xenia. One of the Greek characters, who display Xenia, is Telemachus. “Greetings, strangers! here in our house you’ll find a royal welcome. Have supper first, then tell us what you want.” (Homer I.145). Telemachus’ actions, demonstrates the second step of Xenia which is to allow the stranger into one’s home. Telemachus didn’t know the stranger was Athena; he shows respects towards others, does not discriminate against strangers. Telemachus’ politeness may have given Athena a good impression of him, making her eager to assist him find news about his father. …show more content…

When Polyphemus first meets Odysseus, he does not welcome Odysseus and his men properly, but instead frightens his men’s instead. “We Cyclops never blink at Zeus and Zeus’s shield” (Homer IX.309). “He bolted them down like a mountain-lion, left no scrap, devoured entrails, flesh and bones.”(Homer IX.329).It also seems that there are no rules or laws on Polyphemus’ island (since hospitality is not part of his culture) Cyclops lack respects towards the gods; offer visitors hospitality, but instead, the Cyclops sees them as “food”. “Ignorance is voluntary misfortune” (Nicholas Ling) Substandard xenia can lead to misfortune. Polyphemus’ iniquity towards Odysseus’ men caused him to be misfortune, having him blinded in the

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Both receive Telemachus in a similar manner that he received Athena in. They take care of his basic needs, offer him food and a place to sleep, and only when he is ready do they talk about business, “Nestor’s son Pisistratus: first to reach them, grasped their hands and sat them down at the feast… flanking his brother and father” Nestor places his unknown guests at seats of honor and supplies them with food and drink. Only after the guests have finished filling themselves does Nestor ask who they are and why they are here. (108) These examples indicate there is a trend of extending hospitality before introductions but the reason for that is reinforced by Menelaus when Telemachus visits Sparta “Just think of all the hospitality we enjoyed at the hands of other men before we made it home…

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In the novel, The Odyssey translated by Robert Fitzgerald, Telemachus gives a speech to Ithaca. He argues to the suitors about disrespecting his father Odysseus’ home even though they think Odysseus is dead and will never come home. Courageously, from the heart, Telemachus goes up against the suitors to state control over the key social practices of marriage hospitality. Telemachus’ speech was effective because it showed pathos, logos, and ethos. Telemachus looks and acts the part of his father, astonishing those who presumably knew him as a boy.

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827 Words | 4 Pages

Xenia is a code of conduct that involves three laws and is followed by the most loyal characters from The Odyssey. It is a famous and important Greek value that shows hospitality to anyone; including strangers. Many characters from The Odyssey follow Xenia like Nausikaa, Arete and Alkinoos. “Give

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1107 Words | 5 Pages

On the Cyclopes' island, he was interested in meeting the owner of the cave who had such fine cheeses. However, his men only want to steal the cheese and leave hastily because there was an uneasiness about the cave. Nevertheless, he fixes upon staying and not soon after, the cyclops Polyphemus returns. He and his men are now in peril because of Odysseus' recklessness. The consequence of his decision is that shortly after Polyphemus devours most of his men but this bolsters him to conjure a plan to escape.

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Although Odysseus has been on a terrible journey, he has not always reacted with honor and dignity like Penelope does. Penelope shows honor and dignity when she practices xenia, does not marry a suitor, and forgives Odysseus. In Greek society, xenia is a concept which dictates the relationship between the guest and the household. The household will clothe, feed, and room the guest, while the guest in return shows respect and gratefulness.

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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

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1318 Words | 6 Pages

Before Athena appearing as a Mentor, Homer shows Telémakhos as a shy boy who is having difficulties to live up to his father’s legendary reputation. He is shown as detached, lost and confused. Rather than taking an action, Telémakhos kept on complaining about the suitors’ manipulation of Xenia. In order to reach manhood, Athena calls him to action through making him undergo a journey. This journey, through Homer’s words, is not only meant to pave the way for him to mature by the time Odysseus is back, but also to save him from the suitor’s plot to kill him.

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Athena disguises herself and reveals to Telemachus that his father is alive but tells him to sail in search of more information, “Do you hear me: As a goddess, yesterday/ you came to us, command me to sail/ across the shadowed sea, that I might learn/ about my long-gone father’s coming home” (32). Athena has Telemachus best interest at heart and by commanding him to find his father she played a big role in helping him shape himself and grow into the man he was destined to be. He takes Athenas’ advice and finally comes to the realization that he needs to stand up to the suitors, “Throughout all those years/ when I was still a boy, you suitors squandered/ the riches that were mine. But I am grown;/ and listening to the words of others, I/ can understand…” (33). Telemachus then sets off to find more information on his father and his possible whereabouts “I’ll come fetch what you’ve prepared.

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757 Words | 4 Pages

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,

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76-98). Similar to xenia, tradition is also shown through their relationship. One example of the traditions passed down through each generation which is proven by Telemachus speaking to Athena as his guest: “My dear guest, you speak to me as kindly as a father to his son. I will not

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420 Words | 2 Pages

The purpose of this essay is to inform about the use of xenia. Xenia is the use of hospitality and friendliness when a person comes for shelter, food or drinks. To analyze uses of xenia we will have to use examples of personification, alliteration, simile and metaphor. In book 2 Homer shows that back then Greeks really respected the use of Xenia.

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948 Words | 4 Pages

As Athena assists him, he listens attentively and becomes driven in his actions. Telemachus first visits King Nestor. The first stop did not give Telemachus the answer he was looking for, but being the new eager and strived person Telemachus has become, he continues his journey by going to see Menelaus. Telemachus insists Menelaus to be truthful and exclaims, “Spare me no part of kindness’ sake; be harsh; but put the scene before me as you saw it” (Homer IV. 351-352).

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849 Words | 4 Pages

One important character who values travel over hosting is Athena, goddess of wisdom. Athena calls Telemachus to travel and tells him to, “Fit out a ship with twenty oars, the best in sight, sail in quest for your long-lost father” (1.322-323). When Athena tells Telemachus to sail away, she puts his journey above his duties of being a host to the suitors. Later on, Athena also tells Telemachus, “You must not cling to your boyhood any longer” (1.341). By saying this, Athena tells Telemachus to go and become a man and make his name in the world through his travels.

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906 Words | 4 Pages

Being disrespectful toward how the old man was perceived would go against the Law of Hospitality. Xenia puts the homeowner on watch 24/7. Telemachus observed Athena and hurried over embarrassed that she was held back by the gates. Telemachus wasn’t aware that Athena would be coming to visit him. WIthout knowing she would arrive, he was shocked that no one provided assistants to her.

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199 Words | 1 Pages

“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.

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