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The Symbolism Of Hospitality In Homer's Odyssey

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In the Odysseus (book 9), written by Homer, (book 9) has several symbolisms throughout the episode. One major symbolism used throughout this episode was hospitality. Homer use Cyclops and Odysseus to represent the different view of hospitality. Odysseus action symbolize the poor use of hospitality. Odysseus and his men sailed to the land of the Cyclopes. When they made to Cyclopes’ land, Odysseus wants to find out if the men on the land believe “…wild savages with no sense of right or wrong or hospitable folk who fear the gods (l70 line).” Odysseus and his men enter one of the Cyclopes cave without his permission. Odysseus and his men ate all the Cyclopes food, drank his wine and took some the Cyclopes stock. Odysseus wanted to leave but he
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In order to save himself and his crew, Odysseus devises a plan to trick the Cyclops and escape. As Homer develops Odysseus' character as the hero of the Odyssey, he employs epic conventions such as extended similes, epic hero characteristics, as well as the stylistic technique of hyperbole to further develop

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The Law of Hospitality or Xenia is a law/belief in Homer’s Odyssey. Xenia, says that all guests that show to your home or lands must be treated kindly, with respect and cared for before one may ask questions about them. This is because they may or may not be a god in disguise, and all gods should be treated kindly. In the Odyssey, King Alcinous of the Phaeacians treats Odysseus kindly when he is found on his island. King Alcinous’s daughter, found Odysseus sleeping by the shore after his raft had broken.

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This affected the Cyclops because he acted as if the whole island and cave was his. That the people in his cave belonged to him. This ended up backfiring on himself later when Odysseus and his crew stab him in the eye with a big Olive Tree. Another, hospitality is also important because the gods in The Odyssey are always watching everybody and everything at all times. If

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Throughout The Odyssey there are many examples that prove the significance of the Homeric value of “hospitality.” Due to the unadvanced ways of transportation and communication, many days could be spent in an unknown location and the hosts of the location were supposed to treat the guests very well. For instance, as Odysseus arrives on the island of the Phaeacians, he is greeted with welcoming hospitality. Nausikaa, “But now that you have taken refuge here, you shall not lack for clothing, or any other comfort due to a poor man in distress (VI.205-207.104.) Clearly Nausikaa and Phaeacians are aware of the challenges Odysseus has endured and offered him clothes, food and any comfort he wants, all hospitable acts.

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Back in Homer’s time, hospitality is of greatest importance because of the lack of hotels. Travelers rely heavily on others in support of their needs. Therefore, in Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, reflects that attitude towards hospitality. At the same it becomes a strategy used to manipulate the minds of gods and mortals in purpose of deceiving and having their way. It is not by choice but by force.

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Slaughtering guests isn't a hopeful sign of civility, and this point in the story showed a very distinct contrast from previous welcomes in foreign lands. At the end of his stay with the Phaeacians, Odysseus is offered a great deal of assistance to make his voyage back to Ithaca, at last, possible. He was provided with a ship, as well as “stores of food and wine,” “rug[s] and sheets,” and a “sea-cloak.” The Phaeacians provide him with the finest things that they have to offer, and

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In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus goes on a journey that takes him away from his home and his family. Throughout his journey he has to be brave and find his way back home even with obstacles in the way. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer changes his perspective on hospitality in order to reveal his message to not disrespect the hospitality of others to his ancient Greek audience and reader. Hospitality throughout the epic develops from Circe showing disrespect and hospitality, to the ship's crew showing disrespect to the sun god while visiting his island, and then Telemachus showing hospitality towards a beggar even though it was really his father. Homer uses Circe and the crew to change his outlook on his message, do not disdain hospitality.

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LEFT justify and indent first line. TAG? CA? In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, Ancient Greeks strongly believed in providing their guests with excellent hospitality because in Ancient Greece, it was believed that any stranger may be a god in disguise, so Penelope does nothing out of the ordinary when she warmly welcomes people into her home. Though Penelope treats her guests no differently than she would a king, she enjoys and is comforted by the presence of her hosts, and she takes care of and provides hospitality for people that she does not even know.

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Odysseus initial encounter with the Cyclopes is when the Cyclopes comes into his cave later that day after he has finished his chores for the day. The cyclopes chores would probably entitle gathering fire wood for the night because it says in the third story shift that he “lit his fire and spied us ablaze”, also cyclopes are sheep herders so the cyclopes might have just come back from tending to his sheep also. After we see that the Cyclopes has worked hard for the day his reaction to Odysseus and his crew is not a happy one. The Cyclopes initial reaction is yelling out “strangers” and asking where they men are from and Odysseus takes it upon himself to show great pride in the god Zeus and I feel he kind of demanding the Cyclopes “son” of Poseidon

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In the poem The Odyssey by Homer Odysseus and a whole crew that are on a ship are setting out to go find their home land which is Ithaka. On their journey they have to overcome these obstacles in the way such as Cyclops’, angry Poseidon, and Laestrygonians. When they are on their journey they come to an island which is filled with cyclops’ and the waves that angry Poseidon created blew Odysseus’ ship onto the cyclops’ land. Him and twelve other men went to go tour the island and they came to a cave and went inside, but they didn’t know it was home to a bunch of cyclops’. “If I kill him we perished there as well, for we could never move his ponderous doorway slab aside.

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While The Odyssey is essentially viewed as a story about epic journeys and homecoming, but the epic is also centered around hospitality, or xenia. Xenia is the relationship between a guest and their host. By properly observing the rules of xenia, the host should ultimately be respectful, in hopes that one day their guest may be able to give the host the same hospitality. In nearly every part of Odysseus’ adventure, the custom of xenia seems to figure in some way. In The Odyssey, by following the proper rules of xenia, and adventurer is able to find their way home, while improper guest-host relationships can lead to hardships for all parties.

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1190 Words | 5 Pages

Odysseus didn 't even ask his crew whether they should do it or not because Odysseus made it seem like their opinion wasn’t important and didn 't matter. In the story, it says “Why not take these cheeses... Yet I refused, I wished to see the cave man, what he had to offer” (pg 818 L198-199). Odysseus deserved to return home from his journey after 20 years because it was mostly his fault. If Odysseus had told his crew about everything like why not to eat the cattle or to not open the bag of the unfavorable winds, his journey wouldn 't have taken 20 years.

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There are many lessons Odysseus and is men learn on their journey home in the Odyssey. Unfortunately, only Odysseus makes it home and the rest of men are dead because of their foolish actions. In the Thrinacia and The Cattle of the Sun episode of the Odyssey Odysseus’s men once again disobey him and cost them their lives. The men and Odysseus learn valuable lessons throughout their epic journey, but in the episode the most important lessons they learn are; temptation can lead to death, being obedient can save your life, and trust your instincts. If Odysseus’s men would have been more obedient to their leader Odysseus perhaps all of them would have made it back home alive.

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We can depict this through a quote found in chapter 9, “A wind from seaward served him, drove us there. We are survivors, these good men and I.” Being the heartless creature the cyclops is, he still goes on to eat Odysseus’ men, shocking them as they believed they should have gotten better treatment and a gracious greeting from the Cyclops as if they were noble heroes. However, soon Odysseus learns that

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906 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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