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The Theme Of Loyalty And Xenia In Homer's Odyssey

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Homer was the author of the Odyssey and conveys Odysseus as a great epic hero, but there is an underlying lesson to these conflicts in the Odyssey that he goes through that not all pay attention to. Welcoming strangers into your home is frightening yet they do it all the time. What's even more frightening is not letting someone into your home who is disguised as a god and could be testing you. One can only hope the people they welcome are good ones, but this did not always happen. The theme of the Odyssey is loyalty and Xenia. Homer uses conflicts in order to show the ancient Greeks that the concept of Xenia is giving those far from home generosity and hospitality and those who receive it, respect it. Being polite was part of Xenia, even if they were mean you had to be a good guest. …show more content…

The Cyclops kept them stuck in a cave with a boulder blocking the entrance. Among other things, Odysseus got frustrated and angry. “ ‘ I drew it from the coals and my four fellows gave me a hand, lugging it near the Cyclops forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye.’ ” (Homer 329-333). When Odysseus stabbed the Cyclops in the eye, he was not obeying Xenia. Odysseus’ arrogance and dislike of the Cyclops lead him to forget about the rules of Xenia. The aftermath was Poseidon giving him a difficult journey back. Poseidon was upset with Odysseus actions and tried ruining his ship. The ancient Greeks saw that when disobeying Xenia, bad things happen. The guest was supposed to appreciate their hospitality not take it for granted even if the host did not get

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