Hospitality In Homer's Odyssey

“Hospitality” in Homeric Poetry

For me the word “Hospitality” means showing a generous offer to your guests when you invite them over. When a person shows hospitality, he or she has a loving heart and are ready to serve you even if it’s inconvenient to their schedule. Having Hospitality shows that you know how to treat your guest and that you respect them enough to show them. During the ancient Greeks in the age of Homer “Hospitality” (ξενία, xenía, trans. "guest-friendship”) was based on how the Greeks allowed travelers into their home and took care of them until their stay was over.

The word Xenia, was a major element part in the book The Odysseus because it showed how the Greeks

was treated when they were traveling through the town. Hospitality was shown a lot throughout the entire book. Travelers would show up at the door, and they would greet them in and offer a generous gesture. If the Greek Gods didn’t have any hospitality, than the travelers would be captured or even killed for entering their territory. The Greek Gods wanted to show hospitality, because it would bring them a sense of fame to their home. It would than travel back and people would come to their home and they would offer their hospitality to the strangers. For example, in Book I when Telemakhos was preparing to give his speech to the suitors, he had showed a great deal of Xenia by serving them. Despite what they were doing in his father’s home. As the men gather around the table to feast,
The larder mistress with her tray came by
and served them generously. A carver lifted
cuts of each roast meet to put on trenchers
before the two. He gave cups of gold,
and these the steward as he went his rounds
filled and filled again. (139-144)
the crew of men got their belly’s full and begin to listen to Telemakhos give his speech.

Even though Telemakhos was upset, he still showed them hospitality because that was the right thing to do. He had no other choice but to do it because back in Homer times there were no going around it.

Understanding what hospitality meant to the ancient Greek Gods, It’s safe to say they were serious about it. They thought that, if they didn’t provide hospitality to others that they’ll be punished my Gods or even killed for not showing Xenia. The Greeks had to rely on the hospitality of others for food, shelter, and protection. They welcomed travelers that were traveling alone, into their home and provided services for them. The travelers, thank them for their hospitality by bringing gifts and exchanging them with the Greeks. That was a way for them to show, they appreciated their hospitality. In book XXII, the suitors were abusing the hospitality to the point where they took over. They wasn’t taking it serious, because Odysseus wasn’t around. Odysseus shows up and,

“You yellow Hogs, you thought I’d never make it

Home from the land of Troy. You took my house to plunder,

Twisted my maids to serve your beds. You

dared
bid for my wife while I was still alive
Contempt was all you had for the gods who rule wide heaven,
Contempt for what men say of you hereafter.
Your last hour has come You die in blood” (XXII. 36-42)
tells the suitors, that’s he angry with them for abusing their power. The suitors weren’t showing good hospitality to the guest. They were abusing their authority and wasn’t going by the rules. Odysseus got word of what they were doing and he wants to put a stop to it, because his house was known for good hospitality.
In modern day time, people do show Xenia towards others, but in a different way than they did in the book, The Odysseus.

People aren’t inviting travelers into they’re home when they need somewhere to rest, unless it’s their family. In fact, people don’t even open their doors late at night because their afraid of what’s waiting on the other side of the door for them. Instead people, usually go to a hotel or a friend’s house they know and rest there. Whenever people are showing hospitality now, they may offer a generous gesture for you to come over to their home. They’ll greet you at the door and might even offer to take your coat. There would be servants to serve you drinks or appetizers. While you’re mingling around the room, you’re showing respect to the guests and the

host.
Because the language has changed over the course of the years, we now know the understanding of the word hospitality. The Odysseus was a perfect example of showing what hospitality was and what it meant to the Greek Gods. Hospitality came from the Greek word Xenia, which means guest-friend relationship. In today’s society, we don’t practice hospitality as much as the Greeks did back in Homer times. Because technology plays a big part in today’s world, therefore there are more options to choose from than it was back then. For example, The Greeks would travel by foot and they had no other choice but to stop and get offer Xenia from strangers. But now that we have transportation, we don’t have to stop and get hospitality from others because we now have hotel, B&B etc. Readers now can have an idea in their mind of what hospitality and how to show it. The meaning of the word “Hospitality” (Xenia) has changed over the years, but it hasn’t changed the way people think.