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Explain the role of hospitality in the Odyssey
Telemachus the odyssey character traits
Explain the role of hospitality in the Odyssey
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Some people are very hospitable while others are not. In Homer’s “The Odyssey” Odysseus is returning home from a war as he is swept off course by Poseidon. Odysseus spends ten years drifting from island to island until he was able to return home. While away from home, Odysseus encounters some places were hospitability was key while some places hospitability was not as important. Therefore, Hospitality is a central motif of the Odyssey that focuses on the behavior of both hosts and their guests. Homer’s depicts several scenes of positive hospitality throughout the story of “The Odyssey “. For example, the scene with Telemachus treatment of Athena shows how a young man showered their female goddess with more than enough food, clothing, and gave the goddess the best seat in the house. In addition, to Telemachus scene with Athena, Nestor’s shows good hospitality towards Telemachus in Book III. “There found Nestor sitting with his sons. All around him were men preparing for the feast, Skewering meat on spits and roasting it. But when they saw the new arrivals, they all crowded around, clasping their hands in welcome and inviting them to sit down. Nestor’s son Peisistratus was first, taking the both by the hand and having sit down at the feast on soft fleeces spread on the sandy beach beside his father and Thrasymedes …show more content…
Cyclopes don’t care about Zeus or his aegis or the blessed gods, since we are much stronger. I wouldn’t spare you or your men out of fear of Zeus. I would spare them only if I myself wanted to (Homer 276).” ….”This brought no response from his pitiless heart but a sudden assault upon my men. His hands reached out, seized two of men, and smashed them to the ground like puppies. Their brains spattered out and oozed into the dirt. He tore them limb from limb to make his supper, gulping them down like a mountain lion, leaving nothing behind- guts, flesh, or marrowy bones (Homer
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.
Other acts of hospitality are seen throughout The Odyssey. Telemachus has left on a journey to find out about his father and he comes across Nestor. Nestor shows multiple signs of good hospitality. When Telemachus first meets him, he gives everyone a feast before even asking who they are (3.76-79). Once Telemachus...
The Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou? both contain Homer’s initial implication of the common hospitality throughout ancient Greece. In the movie, one example of this being portrayed is nearing when Ulysses, Pete, and Delmar escape from prison. The men travel to Wash Hogwallop, Pete’s cousin, house to seek refuge. Wash welcomes them into his home immediately, thus showing Homer’s theme of hospitality. He gives them stew and proceeds to talk to Pete about other family members inside his home. One could say that Joel and Ethan Coen, the directors of the movie, purposely incorporate this scene for several reasons, but the main one is to reveal and incorporate the message from The Odyssey. By having Wash so readily take in his cousin, and his cousin’s friends, the two directors wave a red flag, drawing the viewers attention to this theme. This also shows how hospitable King Alcinous was towards Odysseus. Another example of hospitality throughout the movie is found through...
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.
Odysseus’ attempt to make himself feel at home in Polyphemos’ cave turns out to be disastrous. Homer emphasizes from this situation Odysseus’ lack of caution and judgment as Odysseus’ crew had already advised him to leave the cave. In consuming Polyphemos’ livestock and cheese, Odysseus demonstrates a high level of comfort with Polyphemos which is in reality not evident for the two individuals who meet for the first time. As a result, Odysseus and his crew portray themselves as intruders rather than visitors.
The Greek concept of Zenia is illustrated throughout the novel, The Odyssey, by Homer, and demonstrates the critical role of hospitality and generosity in Greek culture. A form of Zenia that is particularly emphasized, is the relationship between a host and their guest. The Greeks aimed to make any stranger, especially those far from home, feel comfortable in their household. Ancient Greek traditions and culture demanded that all guests be given the highest respect and showered with luxuries such as food, wine, clothing, and women. Within the first four books of The Odyssey, Telémakhos, son of the renowned Odysseus, faces a predicament; his father’s whereabouts are unknown and suitors are attempting to force his mother to marry them. Athena,
“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.
Hospitality or Xenia (Greek for guest-friendship) is a prevalent theme used throughout the Odyssey and helps the readers understand more about Greek culture in the Bronze Age. However in that time it was more like Philoxenia (Extending hospitality to one far from his home). Homer used hospitality to define his characters and shows how it affects them. He introduces their cunning personality traits and ignorance through hospitality. He demonstrates how it affects the gods, and odysseus’s journey, and uses literary elements to do so.
Zeus shows his power when, “... Zeus cracked the sky with a bolt, his blazing sign, and the great man who had borne so much rejoice at last that the son of cunning Cronus flung that omen down for him” (Homer 362). At this moment in time, Odysseus had just shot the arrow through the 12 axes and revealed to the suitors that he was a powerful being. Zeus’ lightning bolt shows that he gives his support and consent in the punishment that is going to come to the suitors. Athena also joined in on the punishment for disobeying the rules of hospitality. From the beginning, Athena wanted to help Odysseus and Telemachus get rid of the suitors. She recognized that they were being bad guests and wanted to do something about it (Homer 3-4). Athena wanted the suitors to have to pay the price for not following the laws of hospitality and she was going to do whatever it took to ensure that it happened. Athena shows up as Mentor and comes to support and help Odysseus in the demise of the suitors. Athena wants the suitors to pay and suffer for the years that they have been bad guests (Homer 370-371). Throughout the book Athena had always been behind Odysseus and wanted to help him get revenge on the suitors. They finally get the chance that they’ve been waiting for to hurt the suitors and show no mercy. The Gods were very tough when
The Odyssey, with its various examples of good and bad hospitality, offers the reader a look into the world of the Greeks, and the importance of the cultural element that hospitality played in their daily lives. The importance of hospitality goes beyond being a gracious host; there is a threat of violence if a host or guest does not fulfill their responsibilities. Throughout the novel, bad hospitality is punished with bad “karma” and good hospitality brings rewards to the people who demonstrate it. For example, Telemachus was highly respected because he follows the common greek archetype of being hospitable. Polyphemus, on the other hand, was not respected but instead seen as rude and inconsiderate because he was not hospitable. Hospitality
sit." (III, 38) After you have invited them into your home, you must invite them to dine at your table. Only after they have dined, you have the permission to ask for their names, like King Menelaus did, "'Help yourselves to food, and welcome! Once you've dined we'll ask you who you are.'" (IV, 68-69) Many times before dining "...women had washed them, rubbed them down with oil and drawn warm fleece and shirts around their shoulders..." (IV, 56-57) If the host enjoyed the company of the guests, many times they will honor them with gifts.
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.
Altogether, hospitality was an important theme for Odysseus, during his adventure back to Ithica. Hospitality also played an important role for Telemachus, and the search for information about the whereabouts of his father. Without this tradition of Greek hospitality, the sequence of events in The Odyssey could have changed drastically. Not only was this Greek custom of hospitality important in The Odyssey, it was also important to Greek citizens. Just the simple tradition of hospitality, whether positive or negative, can explain much about Greek citizens, and how they treat each other.
Hospitality in the Iliad gives us an insight in ancient greece and was a major characteristic of their culture. In the Iliad there are many instances of the applications of hospitality in the lives of the people back then. We use the Iliad as a tool to look into their culture because this would have been passed down orally for generations as some of the only literature they had. SO their worldviews and values would be apparent in these precious tales.
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.