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Hospitality in ancient greek culture
Topics for hospitality in ancient greece
Topics for hospitality in ancient greece
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In Homeric Greece there is a high value placed on a cultured elegance, and refinement of character. This is illustrated throughout Homer's The Odyssey using the vehicle of the guest/host relationship. The narrative begins with an interaction between Odysseus's son, Telemakhos, and the goddess Athena (disguised as Mentor). From the outset, it is made clear that there is a very specific set of rules for the receiving of guests into one's household. The degree of ceremony with which these actions are carried out is a direct reflection on the character of the host, and a marker of whether or not they are deemed worthy and honorable. When Telemakhos sees the stranger in his household, he is rushes to greet him, "irked with himself to think a visitor has been kept there waiting" (5). This suggests that each moment of the interaction between guest and host must be treated with reverence, as this connection is infinitely important. As the scene progresses, this same idea is carried farther, and the guest made welcome to the …show more content…
The daughter of the king treats Odysseus with the utmost care and respect, even though he appears as lowly and even frightening. She gives him clean clothes, olive oil for his skin, and bread and wine to eat. She even tells her maids that they must attend to this man because, "Strangers and beggars come from Zeus" (105). Nausikaa's parents, the king and queen, receive Odysseus with the same ceremony as their daughter. The guest is given a place of honor to sit, next to the king himself. Again he is served from the finest dishes laden with the best food there is to offer. Upon hearing Odysseus's story, the king promises to help him in any way that he can. He is pleased that Nausikaa helped the man, and states, "Once you approached her, you became her charge" (119). This suggests that the guest/host relationship is a sacred bond which must not be
Hospitality: Greek philoxenia; literally “love of strangers.” Homer might have had such a definition in mind when he introduced the theme of hospitality to his epic poem the Odyssey. A multitude of reasons for the prominent position this theme plays, both in the Odyssey and perhaps in Homer’s own society, are hinted at in the introductory books, often referred to as the Telemachy. Just two of these, namely the hunger for news and the belief in divinity, are illustrated by the words and actions of the hosts Telemakhos and Nestor.
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:8-9). Hospitality can lead down a path of happiness and joy when ensued. In Homer’s epic The Odyssey, Xenia is an important factor in the foremost important character’s journey home. The role of xenia in the odyssey when followed can be very beneficial and when not followed, deadly. When abiding by xenia, Telemakhos and Odysseus make great steps towards regaining the power from the suitors in Ithaka.
The news of Odysseus remains absent, but his son Telemachus is determined to find him, dead or alive. He goes to the island of Pylos to obtain information from King Nestor and is greeted with a feast accompanied with wine, which exemplifies generous hospitality. Homer describes the scene; “When they saw the strangers a hail went up, and all that crowd came forward calling out invitations to the feast” (p.36, lines 38-40). Then during his depart the next day, Nestor provides Telemachus with a chariot, a horse, and food to continue his journey.
All throughout The Odyssey there are scenes of good and bad, xenia, or hospitality. It can be seen that hospitality is extremely important in the Greek culture, both how someone treats their guests and how the guests treat the host. A closer look chronologically into the good, then bad examples will show how one acts affects the actions that are brought upon them when they either follow or disobey Zeus' Law. Right at the beginning of The Odyssey, the reader is shown the hospitality that Telemachus has. Athena arrives, disguised, and he invites her into his home by saying: "'Greetings, stranger!
In the Odyssey the people of Ithaca are accustomed to hospitality. In Odysseus’s lengthy journey home he learns to maintain modesty. Odysseus’s family never give up on him throughout his entire 20 year journey, and they kept Ithaca for him when he came back. The Greek values of hospitality, humility, and loyalty are conveyed in The Odyssey.
In this day and age, helping a stranger from their troubles without knowing anything about that person is a risk many people do not take. And for people who do show hospitality to strangers, their actions are little more than being friendly to the guest. However, in Homer’s time period, giving stranger’s hospitality was something most Greeks did. In ancient Greece, there were set hospitality laws where both guests and hosts had obligations. Therefore, in Homer’s Odyssey, one of the major themes of this epic was hospitality and the guest-host relationship. Robert Fagles, translator of the Odyssey, and Bernard Knox, introduction and notes writer, wrote in the introduction, “If there is one stable moral criterion in the world of the Odyssey, it
Through characters and situations, The Odyssey promotes and emphasizes many important ancient Greek values such as hospitality, pride, and fate. Stressed greatly in ancient Greek culture, hospitality is evident throughout Homer’s writing, which reflects and expresses many different value systems within it. For example, when in the cave of the Cyclops, Polyphemus, Odysseus confronts him by saying, “we therefore humbly pray to show us some hospitality and otherwise make us such presents as visitors may reasonably expect” (92). To the Greeks, hospitality was very important, to the point that it was an expectation and not just a quality, as it is in today’s culture. If you feared Zeus and the gods, you were to show hospitality.
Throughout the Odyssey, there are many relationships that represent love between two people. These relationships show loyalty, compassion, and the wanting to be near one another. Two of these kinds of relationships are between Odysseus and Telemakhos, and Odysseus and Penelope.
“I often gave to vagabonds, whoever they might be, who came in need.” (Homer, 351) Hospitality was evident in Homer’s time period and eventually was seen as an institution in the Greek culture. A guest-host relationship, known as Xenia, takes place throughout The Odyssey whether it’s to gain relationships or to avoid punishments from the gods. It is a major theme and is apparent in every book of The Odyssey. Hospitable characters who use xenia are what keep this novel going. Xenia affects the plot in many ways and influences characters actions and choices throughout the novel.
(1.118-124, 130-134) Not only was he shocked a guest was at the door, he made her more comfortable than himself, not even knowing she was a goddess. This shows the gods that people are behaving correctly and putting others comfort before their own. Homer did this to introduce the hospitality theme. He went farther into detail in this passage to tell the audience what hospitality was like during that time as well as characterize Telemachus. He sounds very generous when welcoming Athena into his house and the audience starts to understand who he is.
Hospitality In The Odyssey by Homer, hospitality plays a very important role. There are certain rules of hospitality needed, such as inviting a stranger into your home, not asking them their name before they have dined at your table, and sometimes even gift offerings. If these rules of hospitality are not carried out, the consequences are very severe. Hospitality is to be given to all by all. Being a good host is very important in The Odyssey, even to the gods. It is a sign of respect for all no matter where they are from or how poor they appear to be. This means that as soon as you see a stranger, you invite them into your home to sit at your table just as king Nestor did. "As soon as they saw the strangers, all came crowding down, waving them on in welcome, urging them to
The Greeks have been known for their hospitality and politeness, especially when treating guests- whether strangers or not. This is demonstrated near the beginning of the Odyssey when Telemachus went to Pylos to visit Nestor. Nestor, not knowing who he was taking into his home as guests, treated them with great honor and respect. "Now is the time," he said, "for a few questions, now that our young guests have enjoyed their dinner. Who are you, strangers? Where are you sailing from, and where to, down the highways of sea water (p 299)?" If ever Greeks were to serve themselves before their guests or even a little better than them, then they were breaking the most basic of all Greek customs, for this tradition of hospitality was passed down from generation to generation, and breaking it would bring embarrassment and dishonor upon the home.
Xenia, the ancient Greek concept of hospitality, was one of the foremost forces in Homer’s Iliad. The Achaeans respect it above nearly all else, and failure to adhere to its strict customs could lead to the forfeiture of countless souls.
A positive host is one who welcomes their guests with open arms. Generous Greek hosts treat their guests with the highest respect. A positive host does not ask a guest of their identity, until after they dine. Greek hosts offer their guests a wide variety of meats and wines. If a host enjoys the company of his guests, he will offer gifts to them. The type of gift offered to the guest would depend on the wealth and generosity of the host. If the guest is a weary traveler and a long way from home, a host may invite the guest to stay for the night at his home. An example of excellent Greek hospitality as read in The Odyssey would be shown in the character Menelaus, towards his unknown guests, Telemachus and Peisistratus. Menelaus is quoted in The Odyssey as follows: “Welcome. Do begin your meal. After you’ve dined we shall inquire who you may be. (IV pg. 42)” Other examples of good hospitality would include King Alcinous and Queen Arete, of the Phaecians, towards Odysseus, and the king of Pylos, Nestor, towards Telemachus. Therefore, t...
Hospitality today is nothing like it was in Ancient Greece. Today, good hospitality is being friendly and respectful to a guest. In Ancient Greece, hospitality was something people had to do, or face the wrath of Zeus. Zeus’s law of hospitality is that any stranger that comes to your home, the host must be willing to feed, entertain, and maybe offer them a bath and anything else they might be in need of without question until those things had been given, and also give them a parting gift. The guest, in turn, would not be a burden in any way. In The Odyssey, most people follow the rules of hospitality, but there are others who do not. The Greek concept of xenia shows the serious priority the Greeks place on the laws of the gods.