In the book The Odyssey, xenia is considered sacred. If one was to show xenia in a negative way they would later be punished for it and if someone was to show xenia in a positive way they would be rewarded for it. Yet if xenia was both good and bad, how would that affect the outcome? In the story “The Grace of the Witch”, the great and beautiful Goddess Kirke shows good xenia by giving her guests a warm welcome with rich wine, extravagant feast, and tall thrones to sit upon and feel magnificent, but does it all count if she drugged them to stay? The toss between good and bad xenia is questioned when Kirke shows Odysseus and his men good hospitality but it is also threatened when they are forced to stay or must leave and head to the homes of …show more content…
death by Kirke’s orders.
From the very beginning we can see the Powerful Kirke showing good xenia by the way she treats her guests, it is the way he does it that makes us question whether it is slightly wrong. “On thrones she seated them…she prepared a meal of cheese and barley and amber honey mixed with pramanian wine…” (Pg. 172 lines 257-259) Although this shows nothing but good xenia she adds her own evil spice to the feast, “…adding her own pinch, to make them lose desire or thought of our dear father land.” She betrays them, uses their weakness to her advantage and turns them into swine. Once Odysseus hears about this he rushes to stop this trickery, while on the way the great Hermes prepares him with an herb that will stop the powerful effects of Kirke’s evil trance. Odysseus arrives with a clear mind and even though Kirke works hard to put him under her trance, she fails time and time again. Odysseus loses track of his long term goal to go home and ends up staying over a year willingly drinking wine and eating luxurious meat. When he finally realizes it is time to get back on plan and head home. A sneaky Kirke has other plans for Odysseus and his crew’s journey, “…you shall not stay here longer against your will, but home you may not go unless you take strange way…come to the cold homes of Death and pale Persephone.”
After the Goddess having her way with Odysseus for a year she was not letting him off easy, so she let him leave, just with a different destination. She allowed Odysseus and his men to wine and dine within her home, gave them the freshest meat and made sure they were content for a whole year until they all woke up and focused on the bigger picture. With Kirke showing good xenia her hospitality was indeed up to par, but once she takes away his true desire to go home we fear that the good xenia being shown may be bad in mere disguise. Powerful woman seem to always want to keep their prey under their control and once they no longer want to be under her spell, the take the thing that means most to them away, which is why it was devious for Kirke to prolong Odysseus’s travel. He had already been away from home for years, and now since they decided to leave she will add on a few more. Kirke could have given Odysseus and his men anything they ever desired except the satisfaction of finally being home. Although she showed what seemed to be good xenia, she held them against her will even though they did not fully know it. She was a good host when it comes to the food and wine and way they were treated but would anyone want that over being able to go home after years? She took away their will to make their own decisions which to me was not what any ‘good’ host should do. You never take away their will power to decide things for their own. This goddess showed good xenia which would have been honored in this time, but she was not what one would consider a good host
Oeneus chose to entertain Bellerophon in his halls for twenty days, for no other reason than that Bellerophon was a foreigner in his land, a guest. Not only did they feast and drink for twenty days, they also gave each other “gifts of friendship”. Although it is safe to assume Oeneus acquired great wealth through his battles he still spent a large sum of money on his guest, not only through revelry but through gifts. This is not the only example of the heroes placing xenia over monetary wealth. At the end of Diomedes’ speech to Glaucus about friendship, Homer says “But Zeus took away Glaucus’ good sense, / For he exchanged his golden armor for bronze, / The worth of one hundred oxen for nine,” (6.243-245). The claim that Glaucus’ must have had his sense taken away from him to allow him to exchange his golden armor for Diomedes’ bronze armor is wrong. Xenia is what prompted the exchange, not a lack of sense. Glaucus does not care about the value of the armor, instead he wishes to celebrate xenia. The value of this continued host-to-guest interaction is worth far, far more to both Glaucus and Diomedes than the monetary value of their
Odysseus is a Foolish and selfish leader, who makes rash decisions that kill his men just for his own personal gain. One of Odysseus's many foolish decisions in the epic is when he lets his men raid and pillage the Kikones. This irrational decision ends up in the death of nearly 30 of his men. If he would have stopped and though about his decisions he could have saved his fellow soldiers. Another foolish decision is when he was on the island of the Kyklops, instead of just exploring the cave he decides to explore the entire island just so he can see a kyklops this exploration ends up with the death of many of his men and a curse set on Odysseus. Odysseus makes a selfish decision when he wrongfully tells his crew Kirke, "urged that I alone should listen to their song."(XII; 58-62) when Kirke really said that he should only listen to their deadly song only if he believed it was necessary. This selfish decision could have proved to be dea...
Through temptation and torture, Odysseus never forgets that he must put others’ needs before his own desires. Like a hero, Odysseus has to sacrifice the options that benefit him in order to benefit his others. Specifically, Odysseus accepted the fact that he laid with Kirke in order to free his men from her spell. Though it went against all of his ethics and unfaithful to Penelope, Odysseus’s main objective was to return home with all of his crew alive. He illustrates his true loyalty to Penelope when he declines Kalypso’s offer of immortality. Odysseus immediately responded and refused Kalypso’s offer: “My lady goddess…come (Book V, 223-233).” Many individuals would not decline immortality, but he did not ponder over the thought of living for eternity. Odysseus made this decision based on his ethics and because of true love. Odysseus also makes ethical decisions to save people’s lives. For instance, ...
...ry for him to learn the virtue of temperance. If he is not able to moderate his impulses towards revenge, feasting, and lovely goddesses, then he shall always be doomed to roam upon the wine dark seas. Obviously he does learn this, since he does return to Ithaka without being smitten down by the gods, but he returns a different Odysseus. The new Odysseus realizes that there is more to living than a feast of roast meats and wine each night before the flawless bed of love of a lovely goddess. The new Odysseus wipes a salt tear from his cheek at the sight of an old hound that lays neglected (17.394).
First, Odysseus is not a hero because he is a foolish leader who makes many mistakes on his journey back home to Ithaka. His first mistake is his decision to let his men raid and pillage the kikones, this thoughtless decision gets thirty of his men killed and countless others wounded, it also angers the Gods because he caused the deaths of many kikones and also many of his own soldiers. Another foolish decision Odysseus makes is his decision to explore the island of the Kyklops. Instead of just exploring his surroundings Odysseus decides to explore the entire island, just so he can see a Kyklops. Again this idiotic decision ends up in the death of more of his faithful men. Finally, another foolish decision he makes is to leave Elpenor unburied, which tortures his soul. As a result of this Odysseus is forced to go all the way back to Kirke's island, wasting time and valuable food to bury his body. This decision is not only selfish but disrespectful because it forces Elpenor to go through extreme suffering in the painful underworld. Odysseus is a selfish leader who needed to stop and think about his decisions instead of acting on impulses, this could have saved the lives of...
When Odysseus visits the land of the dead in book 11 to consult the dead seer Teiresias, Teiresias gives him several pieces of advice. One main thing he tells Odysseus is, “If only you have the strength and will to control your men’s appetites. And your own from the moment when your good ship leaves the deep blue sea and approaches the isle of Thrinacie. There you will find at their pasture the cattle and the fat flocks of the Sun-god, whose eyes and ears miss nothing in the world. If you leave them untouched and fix your mind on returning home, there is some chance that all of you may yet return to Ithaca, though not without suffering. But if you hurt them I predict that your ship and company will be destroyed, and if you yourself contrive to escape, you will reach home late, in a wretched state, upon a foreign ship, having lost all of your comrades.” (Homer, The Odyssey, 143) When Odysseus and his men land on the island of Thrinacie, Odysseus warns his crew not to butcher any of the cattle they see. However, his men do not follow Odysseus’s advice and butcher several cattle out of hunger. As a result, when Odysseus and his crew finally leave the island, Zeus blasts their ship with a lightning bolt (as revenge for Helios/the Sun-god) causing every man to perish with the exception of Odysseus. In short, Teiresias gives advice to Odysseus to not butcher any of
So Xenia throughout the Iliad gives us a glimpse at their culture and tradition. The Iliad is full of examples where strangers, are welcomed into the homes of strangers and are sent away full of food and protected for upwards of a week. Even in the midst of war the Greeks stuck to their belief system that they had during their upbringing. The Greek sset a great example for us to follow to give grace to everyone even in bad circumstances.
Homer’s Iliad is ripe with a variety of social structures. The passage where Diomedes meets Glaucus in battle shows the reader how a variety of these structures interact, and how the Argives value them in relation to each other. There are times when the characters fight for glory, there are times when they strive to earn riches, but above all else, they respect xenia. Xenia is the ancient Greek concept of hospitality, and it is evoked any time a guest visits a host. The Achaeans respect it above all else, and failure to adhere to its strict customs could lead to the forfeiture of countless souls. By the end of the story, xenia has overpowered money, battle, and glory, cementing its place as the most powerful force in all of Homer’s Ancient
The ancient Greeks have brought upon numerous ideas, inventions, and stories to the world. Greek mythology influences modern day literature and life. The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer, which tells the story of Odysseus's journey home after the Trojan War. Odysseus does not achieve his goal of reaching home so easily; monsters and gods come in his way and hinder him. The Odyssey expresses Greek values of hospitality from the customs of Ithaca, humility from Odysseus’s reform, and loyalty from Odysseus’s family.
...ow Greek civilization was founded by women; they were the ones who gave birth to the heroes. Similarly, The Odyssey is a story created by women. The plot revolves around the actions of women. Athena orchestrates all the events. The seductresses, such as Circe, the sirens, and Calypso, attempt to stop Odysseus from reaching home. The helpmeets, such as Nausicaa, Arete, and Athena, aid Odysseus in his homecoming. The wise and virtuous Penelope is the object of Odysseus’ quest. Unlike Helen who forsakes her husband, Penelope remains faithful. Unlike Clytemnestra who assassinates her husband, Penelope patiently waits for Odysseus. She becomes a model of female patience and of female intelligence. Her craftiness is the only one which can match up to Odysseus’. The Odyssey presents a wide array of women and demonstrates the influence that women have in the life of a hero.
book takes place in, is called to action and set in motion on his Hero
The Odyssey is a tale that has changed literature and storytelling. In this tale Odysseus is a Soldier from the battle of Troy trying to get home to his island of Ithaca, where he is king. His wife and son must wait ten years while he is trying to make his way home. In Odysseus’s absence wooer’s, or better known as suitors, learn of his absence and travel to Ithaca to win his wife’s hand in marriage. These men come every day feasting on Odysseus’s food and wine, and give his servant’s orders. His son Telemachus, does his best to keep the suitors from ruining his fathers house but he is only a boy, and doesn’t receive the respect of an adult. Telemachus then has a visit from the god Athena, whom Odysseus is friends with, who advises him to travel to find out about his father. In his travels he hears that Odysseus may still be alive. Meanwhile Odysseus goes through a series of adventures and hardships that prove his wisdom. It is interesting in contrast of the Iliad, even though Achilles was much stronger and a better warrior, Odysseus was portrayed as a greater hero due to his wisdom. He uses this wisdom to escape from the Cyclops.
Homer’s poem The Odyssey depicts the tendency of people to ignore the consequences of their actions. Odysseus punished Penelope’s suitors without thinking of consequences that he would have to endure. He did not acknowledge the consequences because that would prevent him from doing what he wants to do. Odysseus wanted to kill the suitors; they ate away at his fortune. Finding consequences for murdering the suitors would force Odysseus to realize what he is about to do is not a good idea. Odysseus chose to ignore the consequences and killed the suitors anyway. Odysseus had absolutely no reason to kill the suitors; they had the right to stay in his home because Penelope made them feel welcome, Penelope and Telemachus both told them that Odysseus was dead, and although Telemachus told them to leave, he did not have the right to do so.
Many people play decisive roles in Odysseus’ journey home from war. For example, in Phaiákia, the Phaiákians welcome Odysseus with open arms: “Let our seniors gather in the mourning / to give [Odysseus] a festal day” (VII. 204-205). Also when in Phaiákia Alkínoös instructs his men to help Odysseus move along on his journey: “Put our minds upon the means at hand / to take [Odysseus] safely, comfortably, well / and happily, with speed, to his own country, / distant though it may lie” (207-210). These instructions to help Odysseus get home displays the third rule of xenia. The Phaiákians are one of many who abide by xenia when hosting Odysseus. They hold a feast and even help Odysseus on his expedition back to Ithaka. Later on, after spending extensive amounts of time with Kirkê on Aeaea, Odysseus receives a parting gift. The present is remarkably helpful in Odysseus’ journey home. Kirkê tells Odysseus that he “plug [his] oarsmen’s ears / with beeswax kneaded soft” to pass the Seirênês (XII. 58-59). The guidance given proves to be beneficial as Odysseus is able to pass the Seirênês without harm. Although some hosts give a present as a parting gift, Kirkê gives the priceless gift of knowledge to help Odysseus home. The last stop of Odysseus’ journey is to his swineherd Eumaios. There, Eumaios gladly receives Odysseus saying, “Rudeness to a stranger is not decency, / poor though he may be,
Characters that continuously practice Xenia are rewarded with protection by the gods as a result of their sacrifice and respect. Resultantly, when divine supernatural forces, like goddess Athene, help characters in the epic, like Odysseus, a sense of goodness and morality outline the character. In The Odyssey, Xenia evokes the positive recognition of characters by the gods which ultimately proves their righteousness and good-will. An example of this can be noticed during the invocation of the muse in Book I. At sight, Telemachus immediately welcomed Athene to his “hospitality” (Homer 28) and insisted on feeding her before she explained her visit. He also “took her spear and put it away” (Homer 28), “conducted her to a carved chair, over which he spread a rug, and seated he there with a stool for her feet.” (Homer 28) This is an admirable practice of host to guest Xenia and oblivious theoxenia. This example shows how respectful and generous Telemachus acts towards people regardless of their backgrounds. Furthermore, the descriptions of the way he treats Athene, especially the emphasis on the carved chair and the stool for her feet, accentuates his moral character. He seeks the best for the guest that has seeked hospitality which shows his good-will. The result of this behaviour towards the goddess left him “full of spirit and daring” (Homer