The Odyssey: Hospitality Hospitality was an essential part of Greek culture, and anyone who failed to live up to their obligations as host were subject to violent retaliation. Throughout the Odyssey there are many accounts illustrating the importance of hospitality to Greek culture. These accounts show that in the world of the Odyssey hospitality was a cultural obligation that enabled Greek society to function. Hospitality affected society through three aspects of their culture; social, religious, and economic. Hospitality finds itself connected with religion in several places within the story. This is mostly illustrated in instances where characters are afraid of being punished by the gods, or when characters tell another character they should …show more content…
fear punishment from the gods for being inhospitable. An example of this comes when Odysseus tells the cyclops Polyphemus that he should show them hospitality by saying, “Respect the gods, sir. We are your suppliants, and Zeus avenges strangers and suppliants”. Polyphemus responds by saying he does not fear the gods, and eats two of Odysseus’s men. As a result, he is punished. Odysseus, and the rest of his men punish him by shoving a sharpened beam into his eye, blinding him. In almost every instance of hospitality throughout the Odyssey there are mentions of the gods and how they relate to hospitality. There is even a constant notion that any guest might end up being a god themselves. This is also one reason why Greeks tended to be extremely hospitable, even to someone who looked to be a beggar. If the beggar turned out to be a god they may get a blessing, for being so nice. However if they mistreated them, they risk offending a god, and being cursed. This idea incentivized them to be hospitable to any guest they might receive. Along with the religious aspect of hospitality there were also many ways that hospitality connected itself to social interactions. In the Odyssey hospitality is shown as a way to increase one’s social standing. An example of this is when Odysseus (while still disguised as an old man) tells one of the suiters, “you should give me more than the others. If you did, I’d sing your praises all over the earth.” Odysseus tells him this because by spreading the news about how hospitable someone is, increases the likelihood that others would visit the individual being praised, providing a kind of networking opportunity. Some of the visitors might end up being notables that the hosts could then form an alliance with, increasing their social status. Because of this individuals were incentivized to be extremely hospitable, and generous to any visitors. The swine herder is also a good example of how being hospitable can increase ones social status. By being hospitable, he earned the respect of his master, Odysseus. Odysseus while disguised as a beggar was the recipient of the swine herder’s hospitality, unbeknownst to the swine herder. Because of his hospitality, and loyalty Odysseus later told him, and another loyal servant “I will give you each a wife, property, and a house built near mine. You two shall be friends to me and brothers to Telemachus”. In this way Odysseus rewarded the swine herder. Another way an individual’s social status might be increased was through the economic aspect of hospitality, which presented itself in the form of gift giving.
By traveling around visiting the nobles of Greece, people could amass large amounts of wealth in the form of gifts given out of the obligation that comes from hospitality. There are many examples of this in the Odyssey, such as when Odysseus came to the Phaeacians, or when Telemachus went looking for news of his father at the house of Menelaus. Both of these individuals sent their guests away with many gifts. In the case of Odysseus, and the Phaecians, the Phaecian king Alcinous said, “Cloths for our guest lie in a polished sea-chest, along with richly wrought gold and all the other gifts the Phaeacian lords have brought to the palace. But now each man of us give him a cauldron, too.” Later in the story you find out that this is enough for Odysseus, and up to ten generations after him to live well. In the case of Telemachus, and his visit to the house of Menelaus, you see each member of the family giving Telemachus a gift before he goes back home. Menelaus even goes so far as to say, “of all the gifts that lie stored in my house I will give you the most beautiful” They end up giving him a solid silver bowl, a two-handled cup, and an extravagant robe for his future wife. In this instance Menelaus was referring to the silver bowl as the most beautiful gift he had stored in his house. In both of these events the visitors are shown to be collecting extravagant
gifts. All of these factors of hospitality come together to form the base of Greek culture and the way society functioned at the time of Homer. As far as the Greeks were concerned if they violated the rules of hospitality they risked being punished by the gods as Polyphemus was. However, if they followed the rules of hospitality everyone would benefit. Any traveler who was poor was almost guaranteed a meal. Like Odysseus received a meal from the swine header, when Athena disguised him as a beggar. Any lord could increase his social status by going around and visiting all the surrounding lords, and increasing his material wealth through the acceptance of gifts. Any host could also increase their social status through their name being praised by former guests, causing more notable visitors to show up. Through these visits people could establish alliances, and trading partners, which could then increase their overall wealth, the way Odysseus did when he visited the Phaecians. The alliances could in some cases (if they were strong enough) insure the help of allies to retain one’s wealth, and honor. An example of this is when Menelaus asked Odysseus to go to war with him after Helena was stolen by the Trojan Prince. Throughout the Odyssey hospitality is shown to be the cornerstone of Greek culture, allowing their society to function. Without it there would be no safe way for nobles to interact with one another.
It is important to treat your guests with the utmost importance. It was a sign of nobility and higher status. When a guest comes to your house, you wine and dine with them and do almost anything to their request. You want them to enjoy their time and even like it more than they would their own home. Home is important to every Greek.
The story is based around Odysseus’s journey around an unknown world. He develops the most guest-host relationships in the story based on the fact that on many occasions he must ask strangers for provisions in order for his journey to continue. “A grave housekeeper brought in the bread and served it to him adding many good things to it, generous with her provisions.”(Homer, Book 7) These provisions were needed in order for his journey home to continue. The housekeeper presented it in the act...
Xenia, the ancient Greek concept of hospitality, was one of the foremost forces in Homer’s Iliad. The Achaeans respect it above nearly all else, and failure to adhere to its strict customs could lead to the forfeiture of countless souls.
“What goes around comes around”,this great saying means that kindness is key. In the Odyssey by Homer, one important theme states how hospitality and kindness are always the best policy. Temptations and Obstacles represents a glimpse of allegory in life. Friendship is also a great thing in life because it's about support through tough and good times. Always feel generous with your kindness and support like Odysseus did on his journey.
The Greeks have been known for their hospitality and politeness, especially when treating guests- whether strangers or not. This is demonstrated near the beginning of the Odyssey when Telemachus went to Pylos to visit Nestor. Nestor, not knowing who he was taking into his home as guests, treated them with great honor and respect. "Now is the time," he said, "for a few questions, now that our young guests have enjoyed their dinner. Who are you, strangers? Where are you sailing from, and where to, down the highways of sea water (p 299)?" If ever Greeks were to serve themselves before their guests or even a little better than them, then they were breaking the most basic of all Greek customs, for this tradition of hospitality was passed down from generation to generation, and breaking it would bring embarrassment and dishonor upon the home.
A positive host is one who welcomes their guests with open arms. Generous Greek hosts treat their guests with the highest respect. A positive host does not ask a guest of their identity, until after they dine. Greek hosts offer their guests a wide variety of meats and wines. If a host enjoys the company of his guests, he will offer gifts to them. The type of gift offered to the guest would depend on the wealth and generosity of the host. If the guest is a weary traveler and a long way from home, a host may invite the guest to stay for the night at his home. An example of excellent Greek hospitality as read in The Odyssey would be shown in the character Menelaus, towards his unknown guests, Telemachus and Peisistratus. Menelaus is quoted in The Odyssey as follows: “Welcome. Do begin your meal. After you’ve dined we shall inquire who you may be. (IV pg. 42)” Other examples of good hospitality would include King Alcinous and Queen Arete, of the Phaecians, towards Odysseus, and the king of Pylos, Nestor, towards Telemachus. Therefore, t...
For hundreds of years, psychologists have attempted to understand why toddlers selfishly refuse to share. Recently, many experts in the field agree that toddlers are incapable of sharing because of their lack of integral brain development. From birth through early childhood, a child can only recognize his own wants and needs. Around the time a child begins kindergarten, he starts to development his understanding of abstract concepts, such as empathy, and sympathy. However, some believe that humans never rid themselves of that original selfishness. In essence, humans are born selfish and hopefully become compassionate later on. The idea of a natural tendency towards selfishness
All throughout The Odyssey there are scenes of good and bad, xenia, or hospitality. It can be seen that hospitality is extremely important in the Greek culture, both how someone treats their guests and how the guests treat the host. A closer look chronologically into the good, then bad examples will show how one acts affects the actions that are brought upon them when they either follow or disobey Zeus' Law. Right at the beginning of The Odyssey, the reader is shown the hospitality that Telemachus has. Athena arrives, disguised, and he invites her into his home by saying: "'Greetings, stranger!
In The Odyssey, a Greek hero, Odysseus, journeys back home after the Trojan War. Throughout this long voyage, Odysseus meets many people who take him in out of their own courtesy and hospitality. Within this text, the re-occurring theme of hospitality has had much significance and has also made a presence in today’s society. Xenia was common in the Greek culture; however, changes throughout society have made this form of hospitality a smaller occurrence today. Xenia, or the concept of hospitality, is the main theme present in the Odyssey.
Hospitality in the greek is Xenia which was the guest to host friendship and obligations of the host and guest. The giving of gifts was usually done between guests and hosts. They really strived for a symbiotic give and take relationship in which the host does most of the leg work but a honorable and good guest would give so gift or reward in return. The only time when the host could really reject or throw out a guest was when a guest violated xenia terribly to the point where Zeus would give the order to seek justice for an act of such magnitude. For example when Paris is a guest in the King of Sparta Menelaus’ house as a guest and then steals his beautiful daughter from him and runs away. The theft of a princess is a major offense and would definitely deserve some repercussions it says many times in the Iliad of how the gods disapprove of this act.
The Greek value of hospitality is exhibited in The Odyssey by Odysseus and Penelope. Odysseus and his hungry men entered an unfamiliar cave, which was home to the Cyclops. Once the Cyclops saw the men he asked why they are there, and in Odysseus's explanation he mentions “It was our luck to come here; here we stand beholden for your help, or any gifts you give-as custom is it to honor strangers” (line 194). Odysseus is tried to convince the cyclops to let him and his men live by using the Greek value of hospitality. He wants the Cyclops to view him as a guest, not food. To Odysseus it was second nature to help out a guest or person in need. While Penelope was speaking to the suitors she noted “Here is a poor man come, a wanderer, driven by want to beg his bread, and everyone in hall gave bits, to cram his bag” (line 1116). She shamed Antinous for not helping the man, because in Ithaca its is accustomed to provide the hungry and poor with food. The fact that Antinous “threw a stool” at Odysseus, and “banged his shoulder” appalled Penelope. The thought of doing such a thing was unheard of to Penelope since hospitality is a part of her way of life along with all other Greeks. The people of Ithaca from The Odyssey a...
Hospitality today is nothing like it was in Ancient Greece. Today, good hospitality is being friendly and respectful to a guest. In Ancient Greece, hospitality was something people had to do, or face the wrath of Zeus. Zeus’s law of hospitality is that any stranger that comes to your home, the host must be willing to feed, entertain, and maybe offer them a bath and anything else they might be in need of without question until those things had been given, and also give them a parting gift. The guest, in turn, would not be a burden in any way. In The Odyssey, most people follow the rules of hospitality, but there are others who do not. The Greek concept of xenia shows the serious priority the Greeks place on the laws of the gods.
A great show of hospitality is when a Greek was taken in to one's home to live with them as part of their family. The best example of this is when the old fisherman, Dictys, discovered a chest containing Danaë and Perseus and took them home to live with him and his wife. "They had no children and they cared for Danaë and Perseus as if they were their own" (148). Without this show of hospitality, Danaë and Perseus may not have survived. Also, without this show of cordiality Perseus would not have been able to become the hero he is and accomplish the great tasks he completed throughout his life. Another example of one's being taken in occurs in the story of Demeter. Demeter, disguised as a poor aged woman because of the misery of her daughter's kidnapping, was found by four lovely maidens, who after talking to their mother, Metaneira, took Demeter in with them. Here Demeter was given food and a house to live in. This hospitality helped Demeter to cope with the abduction of her daughter, Persephone because it not only allowed her to nurse the child, Demophoön, but also to interact with other people. These two myths show how much hospitality was a significant part of Greek culture.
Through characters and situations, The Odyssey promotes and emphasizes many important ancient Greek values such as hospitality, pride, and fate. Stressed greatly in ancient Greek culture, hospitality is evident throughout Homer’s writing, which reflects and expresses many different value systems within it. For example, when in the cave of the Cyclops, Polyphemus, Odysseus confronts him by saying, “we therefore humbly pray to show us some hospitality and otherwise make us such presents as visitors may reasonably expect” (92). To the Greeks, hospitality was very important, to the point that it was an expectation and not just a quality, as it is in today’s culture. If you feared Zeus and the gods, you were to show hospitality.
In the era of Homer, hospitality is a crucial part of social existence, and all Greeks put an emphasis on hospitality no matter the circumstance. Taking place in the 10 years after the events in the Iliad with the Trojan War, Homer’s the Odyssey displays notable depictions of the themes hospitality and home. In this epic, hospitality and home can be said to be major themes in the sense that it is involved in nearly every situation and ultimately affects the protagonist, Odysseus, throughout the poem. First and foremost, hospitality and home are the reasons why Odysseus suffers a prolonged journey returning home to Ithaca, specifically when he comes across Kalypso, Polyphemos, and Circe. In the years of Odysseus’s absence, his wife, Penelope,