Hospitality In The Odyssey

In today’s society, most people would consider offering someone a place to sit and asking them if they would like something to drink hospitable. The majority of people could never imagine doing any more than this for a complete stranger. Since the Ancient Greek times to modern day, the value and importance of hospitality has greatly decreased. The Ancient Greeks considered hospitality to be the one of the most if not the most important value that they had. No matter what someone’s social status was, they were required to abide by the rules of hospitality. The value of hospitality is present throughout all of The Odyssey. Homer’s, The Odyssey takes place in Ancient Greece where hospitality was very important and had to be obeyed by both parts

(the guest and host) otherwise they would be punished by the Gods.

One of the most important Ancient Greek values in The Odyssey was hospitality. Not only did the host have to be hospitable, the guest had to as well. The most basic rule of hospitality is to never turn a guest away and Telemachus exemplifies this value. Telemachus states, “I, for one, I’ll drive no guest away” (Homer 314). Telemachus says this to the suitors despite all of the trouble they’ve caused and the horrible people that they are. This statement sums up the exact meaning behind the guest-host relationship and displays how no matter what the circumstances are, people are required to follow the rules of hospitality. Hospitality was a significant part of the Ancient Greek life. Kalpakgian says, “Hospitality provides for all the essential human needs. The combination of delicious food and drink, convivial conversation and marvelous tales, beautiful music, and dancing, gracious manners and boundless generosity, and fun filled games and contests cheers the heart, uplifts the soul, exhilarates the body, and elevates the mind. Such participation in what Homer calls ‘the sweetness of life’ is the quintessence of civilization” (Kalpakgian 21). When you take on the “host” role in the guest-host

relationship, you have to do everything that you can for your guest and make them feel as comfortable as possible. These are just a few of the things that a good host should do for their guests. Another part of the guest-host relationship is accommodating all of your guest’s needs and wants no matter what. Odysseus stated, “Aeolus hosted me one entire month… And then, when I begged him to send me on my way, he denied me nothing” (Homer 156). Aeolus hosted Odysseus for a long time and did everything that he could for him. When the time came that Odysseus wanted to leave, he did not ask for anything in return and allowed him to leave. A good host never asks for anything in return. A lot of the time, the hosts have maids and servants who are also required to abide by the rules of hospitality and take on the “host” role. The maids wait on the suitors hand and foot. They serve them food and drink. They always make sure that they were comfortable (Homer 6). Throughout the story, Odysseus’ maids wait on the suitors and do everything that they can for them to make their stay enjoyable and accommodate all of their needs. The majority of people know the importance and rules of hospitality which they live by in their day to day lives.
Although in the Ancient Greek times hospitality was an expectation, there were still people who chose not to follow the rules of hospitality. When the suitors first meet Odysseus in his beggar form, they are very rude to him. “Wild, reckless taunts––and just as he passed Odysseus the idiot lurched out with a heel and kicked his hip, but he couldn’t knock the beggar off the path” (Homer 286). Due to the fact that the suitors have been staying in Odysseus’ home for so long, they would be considered hosts as well, therefore, they would need to treat all guests with respect. So when Odysseus comes as a beggar, they should have respected him, but they harass and abuse him which was breaking the laws of hospitality. Disobeying the God’s rules wasn’t always direct, sometimes it was a small gesture that would be considered disrespectful. “He did not wait to be lifted by the hand and offered a seat. Instead, he rolled to the hearth, sitting directly on the ground––without a fleece or hide––in the ashes of the fireplace, presenting himself as an abject suppliant” (Newton 26). Even though it is expected that the host be courteous and hospitable towards the guest, the guests should not indulge unless they are offered because that is considered being a bad guest. Sometimes, hosts took advantage of their guests resulting in them breaking the rules. “Straightaway she summoned royal Antiphates from assembly, her husband, who prepared my crew a barbarous welcome. Snatching one of my men, he tore him up for dinner––” (Homer 159). Antiphates demonstrates being a bad host despite the fact that Antinous warmly welcomed them, he eats one of them for dinner which makes him a horrible host. Above all, the suitors ultimately broke all of the rules of hospitality. The suitors overstayed their welcome as well as disrespect Penelope and Telemachus. They are very sloppy, dirty, and greedy (Homer 6). The suitors in The Odyssey are the perfect example of bad guests. They do everything that a guest should not do. Overall, both the guests and hosts broke the rules of hospitality even though they knew that there would be a punishment.
The Ancient Greeks had a very strong belief in the Gods, and if they did not follow the rules of hospitality, they would receive a severe punishment from the Gods.

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

it came to enforcing their rules. “… the Gods possess knowledge which is forbidden to mankind and are prepared to punish any attempt to encroach upon their privilege” (Pitt-Rivers 507). Going against the God’s rules will result in a horrible punishment that they see fit for you. All in all, it was best to obey the God’s rules because they had the ability to make or break someone.
Whether it was obeying, disobeying, or being punished due to the rules of hospitality, it was present in everyone’s lives throughout Ancient Greece. Hospitality was one of the most, if not the most important rule that they had which kept culture and civilizations running smoothly. Homer’s The Odyssey illustrates that the rules of hospitality were very important in Ancient Greece and if the laws were not abided by, people would be punished by the Gods.

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