Hospitality In The Odyssey Essay

Hospitality was very important to the ancient world. Not only was it important to them, but it’s still important now. Hospitality is the welcoming of your guest by entertainment and catering. In each book of the Odyssey, we see hospitality when a new character is introduced. Ancient greek people were taught to treat their guest well. Although, that wasn't always the case.

In books 6-7, we see an example of hospitality of how Greek people make their guests feel welcome. Ancient Greek people would treat their guests well by serving them a feast and entertaining them with a bard. King Alcinous makes Odysseus feel welcome by doing this. “This is no way, Alcinous. How indecent, look, our guest on the ground, in the ashes by the fire! Come raise him up and seat the stranger now, in a silver-studded chair, and let the housekeeper give our guest his supper.” (Lines 189-197)

In book 9, an example of hospitality is when Odysseus is asked by the King, how he got to Phaeacia.

Odysseus goes on by telling the King and his people about how Calypso, the lustrous nymph held him on an island for many years. He told them that the island was beautiful and so was Calypso, but that still stop him from wanting to return to his native land. Odysseus also mentioned that Calypso treated him poorly whenever he didn’t cooperate with what she asked him to do. Then, he told the story of how he escaped from the Cyclops Polyphemus’ cave. In the end, Polyphemus treated him poorly because of Odysseus taunting him. As Odysseus and his men were on the sea, Odysseus just couldn’t help but gloat about how he defeated the Cyclops. “So cyclops, no weak coward it was whose crew you bent to devour with your brute force! You shameless cannibal, daring to eat your guests in your own house, so Zeus and the other gods have paid you back!” (Lines

530-536)
Another example that we see of hospitality is in book 5 when Hermes travels to Calypso’s Island to give her the message that Zeus has prepared. Even though Hermes is a god, Calypso still treats him with respect as she would with anyone else that is a guest. “A beloved, honored friend, I’m eager to do it, whatever I can do...whatever can be done.”(Lines 99-102) She also makes her guest feel welcome by seating him down and giving him a big feast. Although Calypso is not so appreciative of the gods, she still has to respect that they are the rulers over everything.