Hospitality in Greek Culture through Homer

675 Words2 Pages

Hospitality is one of the most important and heroic facets of Greek culture that needs to be covered when examining the story line of the Odyssey. There are many settings within the Odyssey that contain both positive and negative connotations of hospitality, and it is important to explore both sides and see how they relate to each other.

The most common situation or scene from the ancient Greek literature often appears to be the scenes in which the characters are in foreign lands, lost, or just plain weary. This results in the need for hospitality to be shown to the travelers. Hospitality was shown to wandering strangers and wayfarers for several reasons. The most obvious of these, was that the host may himself, one day, be in trouble and need to call upon the generosity and helpfulness of a different random stranger. This practice of blind hospitality was also heavily smiled upon by Zeus.

There are many examples of positive hospitality, in the Odyssey, that Homer provides the reader with. One of the first stories that is told in the Odyssey, is a recounting of how Telemachus treats the very beautiful Athena. Athena is in disguise as a man, Mentes, and is serving as a guide and minor mentor for Telemachus. While many of the suitors simply bypass Athena's character, Telemachus goes out of his way to provide hospitality and service to his unidentified guest. Another great example of the theme of hospitality is when Telemachus travels to visit Nestor and Menelaus. These are two men, who have fought along side Odysseus, and have many storied to recount to the young son of the legend. They do everything that is in their powers, and wealth, to make Telemachus comfortable and content. In Pylos, Telemachus is given information ...

... middle of paper ...

...adowing predicts their doom, but the problem still remains with their continual disrespect Odysseus' house. Once Odysseus shows up, he reclaims his home through a fight with the suitors, that leaves every last one dead. This act `cleanses' the house, and helps restore some semblance of order and respect to the household.

The theme of hospitality is very important and prevalent in the Greek culture. Zeus considers it one of the most important customs a Greek can practice, and takes personal offense if hospitality is not shown. This is very important, especially when one is trying to win the favor of the gods. The positive examples of hospitality are a good example of what it meant to be a good host, while the few examples of negatives hospitality show just how rare rudeness can be. And when this does occur, shows that it is dealt with swiftly and appropriately.

More about Hospitality in Greek Culture through Homer

Open Document