Hospitality, Family, And Justice In Homer's Odyssey

What are some influences that help make decisions in the Odyssey? One of the biggest influences is ancient Greek value. Some ancient Greek values that influenced the Odyssey are hospitality, family, and justice. Without the characters believing in these values the story would have been very different. Even Odysseus’s journey back home would have not happened without believing in family. In Homer’s epic story ancient Greek values has made Odysseus and many other characters respect hospitality, always return home to family, and bring justice to people who disrespect others.

One of the most important ancient Greek values is justice because it has influenced decisions made by gods and Odysseus. In the Odyssey, the gods have brought justice

on people who do wrong and disrespected gods. Zeus and his brothers want revenge on people who have disrespected him like the suitors.

Zeus tells his brother, Poseidon, “If any man, so lost in his strength and prowess, pays you no respect, just pay him back”. Zeus also is the one who signals Odysseus to start the slaughter with a mighty bolt flung from the heavens and who ultimately ends the fighting with a “reeking bolt” at the feet of Athena. This seems to suggest that Zeus is behind the retribution given to the suitors, who do not fear him or act properly as guests. This quote also shows Zeus doesn’t let people who disrespect him get away. Justice influenced all these actions by Zeus. Justice influenced Odysseus by wanting to slaughter suitors who have disrespected him and taken over his house. Odysseus was gone for twenty years and all this time he had suitors in his house taking away Odysseus’s hospitality. During the three years before Odysseus returns, the suitors plunder his herds of goats, pigs, and cattle. They carve away at the great King’s wealth, their countless feasts bleeding dry Odysseus’ property. But, in killing the suitors, there is clearly more than a material, dollars and cents, retribution that is enacted. This quote says for three years, suitors have taken over

Odysseus’s house. They have taken his herds and feasted on all his food in his property. If Odysseus and the gods didn’t believe in justice the suitors may have not been slaughtered. Characters in the Odyssey believe in bringing back honor because they believe you must have justice. Belongings are part of their honor and when their belongings are disrespected, it is proper to bring justice to their honor. Odysseus’ belongings, his wines and herds, are linked to his honor and identity. Giving these possessions would create a social obligation on part of the receiver to reciprocate. When the suitors took Odysseus’s belongings and they created a social obligation so Odysseus believed their actions must be justified.
Family is one of the most important influences in the Odyssey because the whole journey is Odysseus getting back to family.

Most of the Odyssey was Odysseus getting back home to see his family and was trying to get home for 20 years because he believed the ancient Greek value family was important. The Odyssey is a tale of family and home. Odysseus, "his heart set on his wife and his return," does everything he can to make it home from the war. Odysseus has fought gods and monsters, swam for 7 days, sailed for years to make it home. He has defeated all these powerful beings, which many people cannot do. Odysseus has done all these difficult tasks to make it back home because he believed in family. Odysseus’s wife, Penelope, believes in family just as much as Odysseus does. While Odysseus was gone, Penelope has been loyal to her family by not marrying anyone. Penelope is just as devoted as Odysseus to their family, if not more so. She longs for her husband's return, delaying her suitors for years. She has been hosting hundreds of suitors for three years, unweaving a shroud to delay her marriage. She has faith in her family and this ancient Greek value influenced her to wait for Odysseus without getting married. Odysseus reuniting with his family has made him believe in his family more. Odysseus thinks there is nothing better than seeing his family happy and together. His homeland of Ithaca is almost as important as his wife and son. As he says, "I know no sweeter sight on

earth than a man's own native country". The family is mirrored in the country, particularly for King Odysseus, who ruled Ithaca "kindly as a father to his children". But his greatest goal is to be reunited with his wife and son. He has gone through a terrible journey to be reunited with his family. Once he did, he said it was worth it to meet his family.
Hospitality is an ancient Greek value that influenced the Odyssey by gods helping Odysseus, having his property in shape, and respecting the gods. Strangers in the Odyssey follow the ancient Greek value hospitality. In the Odyssey, even random strangers greet others very nicely. The hospitality of ancient Greek society is very clearly seen throughout the Odyssey. During the travels of both Odysseus and Telemachus, one can easily see how strangers were greeted and treated upon their arrival to a new place. It seems as if strangers were invited in for a feast, showered with gifts and luxuries, and then asked whom they were and what their business was. When Odysseus reached Ithaca, strangers gave him a home and respected his hospitality. This shows even just regular people of Ithaca are influenced by ancient Greek values. The Cyclops has believed in hospitality and his believe influenced him to dishonor the gods without feeling their wraith. Polyphemus uses hospitality from his father to protect him. When Polyphemus returns, however, we see that he does not follow the rules of Greek hospitality. The reason he does not abide by these rules is because his father is the god Poseidon. He does not fear the wrath of the gods because he feels his father will protect him. Hospitality is so important to ancient Greeks even beings stronger than humans still are influenced by ancient Greek values. Odysseus believes he should receive hospitality in his own house.
The fact that Odysseus wanted to get home to his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus, is undisputable. When speaking with Alcinous, he once said, “…For if a man is far from his own home and parents, then even if he is housed in opulence within that foreign land, no thing he finds can be more sweet than what he left behind”. This statement proves how Odysseus felt about the hospitality he had been offered and/or provided, and how he much more longed to be home.
Ancient Greek values like hospitality, justice, and family influenced the Odyssey when justice influenced gods to get revenge on people who disrespect them, family influencing Odysseus and his family to stay loyal to each other for 20 years, hospitality influencing almost everyone to help each other and respect their valuables. The Odyssey was influenced by these ancient Greek values. For justice, gods were influenced to pay back who has dishonored them. Odysseus also uses justice to slaughter the suitors. Family has influenced Odysseus’s family to stay together. Hospitality led strangers to help each other out and the Cyclops used it to keep him safe from the gods wraith.