Throughout the Odyssey, hospitality becomes a key theme to Homer and the greeks. The guest/host relationship shows how welcoming the Greeks were to every stranger at their doorstep. They believed that the gods could be disguised as common people, so they treated every guest as a god, in the case of one actually showing up. The guest/host relationship was important in many different ways, one being to keep in good standings with the gods. Guests were treated so well because the hosts were expected to be treated the same if they were the ones traveling. So basically to get good karma. It was also the way that news was circulated, hosts relied on their guests to bring them stories and news from the outside world.
In Homer’s time, the guest/host
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relationships throughout the world were much different than in today’s times. To understand why Homer brings hospitality up as a theme we must first understand that in his time, citizens were accustomed to allowing guests into their homes. Many reasons allowed for such hospitality to become so accustomed throughout the lands of Odysseus. One reason being they did not have cars, trains, planes, and other easy transportation vehicles like we do now. As Odysseus traveled to Troy from Ithaca he could not simply catch a plane ride and be there within a couple hours, he had to endure years of travel through both sea and land. As him and hundreds of others travelled throughout the years people were accustomed to opening their homes up to these soldiers. Without people opening up their homes and being so generous, it would be much more of a struggle for people to travel without the safe place to sleep at night, meals, and resources provided by the host. A big concern for the people throughout the Odyssey was making the Greek Gods happy with their actions. People thought that opening their homes to strangers would please the gods and in return they would receive the same treatment when they were the guests. The Greeks were not being so generous to these strangers out of their own decency, but rather out of fear of their gods. If the Greeks were to treat every passerby as a stranger and not welcome their home to them then they would be condemned when a god/goddess arrives to their door and receives the same treatment. Every guest was treated as a god, in the case of their guest actually being a god in disguise. The first example of a good guest/host relationship is when Athena is disguised as Mentes and visits Telemachus.
Telemachus rushes up to her when he sees that she has been waiting a while. The very first thing he says to her is, “Greetings, stranger. You are welcome here. After you’ve had dinner, you can tell us what you need” (Homer 335). In today’s world, if someone showed up at our doorstep we would be reluctant to even open the door, let alone offer them dinner and not even as what they wanted. After Athena is finished eating, Telemachus vents to her about his feelings towards the suitors and asks all about who Mentes is. Athena in return gives Telemachus advice on getting rid of the suitors and tells him that his father is not dead, he is just detained on an island. Without Telemachus’ hospitality, Athena could have changed her mind about giving him the information about his father. In return for being hospitable, Telemachus received the courage he needed to stand up to the suitors, as well as go on the journey to find his father, with all of the resources that Athena provided for him such as his ship and …show more content…
crew. The guest/host relationships can also be bad.
For example, when Odysseus and his men reached the island of the Cyclopes. Odysseus was questionable about whether or not the Cyclopes feared the gods like the greeks did, but wanted to find out for himself if they would be hospitable. When Odysseus and his men reached an empty cave they went inside and helped themselves to the cheese that belonged to the Cyclops. They soon found out that he was not hospitable like the hosts they were used to. The Cyclops ate several of Odysseus’ men and said that his gift to Odysseus would be to eat him last. In return for the Cyclops not being generous like the greeks are, Odysseus and his men decided they would get their revenge by blinding the Cyclops with a stake through his eye. The Cyclops’ screams alerted his neighbors and they came to help. But when they asked what was wrong, Cyclops replied that “Noman is killing me by some kind of trick” (Homer 435). His neighbors then ignored his screams because his response was misleading. Odysseus told Cyclops that his name was ‘Noman’, in the case that this would happen. Although the Cyclops did get what he deserved by Zeus, Odysseus would pay his price too for the actions he took upon Cyclops. After he was blinded, the Cyclops prayed to Poseidon, his father, that Odysseus would never reach his home and if he did that it would take him a long time, and he would find trouble at home. Odysseus received this because he was not a good guest to the
Cyclops. This is an example of what happens when the guest/host relationship is not honored properly. The guest/host relationship proved to be very important in these two examples. If the relationships were opposite, the situations could have gone totally different directions. If Telemachus was rude to Athena when she visited, she very well might not have bothered helping him with finding his father. If the cyclops was hospitable to Odysseus, he would not have been blinded and the cyclops would never have prayed to Poseidon to keep Odysseus from returning home.
Given these points, Athena (as Mentor) acts as a mentor and advisor for Telemachus. She is able to greatly increase his confidence, prepare him for his journey to find his father, and make him feel worthy of being his father’s son. In real life, many people have experience with a relationship similar to this, someone who gives them advice and is a positive, guiding influence in their life. This relationship is critical to Telemachus and his growth from an immature child to a man, and also proves to be an important relationship to have in one’s own
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.
“I often gave to vagabonds, whoever they might be, who came in need.” (Homer, 351) Hospitality was evident in Homer’s time period and eventually was seen as an institution in the Greek culture. A guest-host relationship, known as Xenia, takes place throughout The Odyssey whether it’s to gain relationships or to avoid punishments from the gods. It is a major theme and is apparent in every book of The Odyssey. Hospitable characters who use xenia are what keep this novel going. Xenia affects the plot in many ways and influences characters actions and choices throughout the novel.
Hospitality: Greek philoxenia; literally “love of strangers.” Homer might have had such a definition in mind when he introduced the theme of hospitality to his epic poem the Odyssey. A multitude of reasons for the prominent position this theme plays, both in the Odyssey and perhaps in Homer’s own society, are hinted at in the introductory books, often referred to as the Telemachy. Just two of these, namely the hunger for news and the belief in divinity, are illustrated by the words and actions of the hosts Telemakhos and Nestor.
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.
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...
Towards the end of his visit with King Nestor, Telemachus is advised to visit King Menelaus in Sparta. Athena/ Mentes then makes up an excuse not to follow Telemachus to Sparta. As she is starting to leave, she transforms into an eagle revealing her true identity as a goddess. King Nestor exclaims to Telemachus, “Dear boy—never fear you’ll be a coward or defenseless not if at your age the gods will guard you so” (3.420, 421). King Nestor explains to Telemachus that he has the gods on his side, so he should not fear anything. He tells Telemachus that he will get what he wants, information about his father, since the almighty gods favor him. From one king to the next, Telemachus is given a chance to reveal his recent change in attitude. After visiting King Nestor, Telemachus arrives in Sparta ready to speak with King Menelaus. Telemachus reveals to him that he has come to receive news of Odysseus: “Don’t soften a thing, from pity, respect for me […] tell me the truth” (4.365, 370). Telemachus has hit the top level of maturity since he is prepared to hear the truth about Odysseus. He used to be so distraught that he was unable to do anything and now he has transformed into a brave man who is speaking up for himself to a king. Telemachus would have never been able to feel comfortable asking about his father, if it were not for Athena or the kings. After conversing with kings
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! / Here in our house you'll find a royal welcome. / Have supper first, then tell us what you need'" (1.144-46). His address to Athena shows right away that he is an extremely hospitable character. Despite his house being overridden by the suitors, he is still welcoming of this stranger. When she is about to leave, he offers that she stay longer and wants to treat her with honor (1.352-60). Telemachus has no idea who Athena is, yet he still shows extreme generosity towards her. Telemachus is a perfect role model for xenia. Even though the suitors have been pushing him around for years, he still finds it in his heart to provide strangers a lovely experience when they visit him. It seems as though he has seen how terrible it is to be treated with bad xenia and he in turn wants to treat his guests the way that he hopes to be treated.
Telemachus has many experiences on his journey to manhood. In Ithaca while Odysseus is gone Penelope is being plagued with suitors asking for her hand in marriage. Telemachus sees what a nuisance they are to his mother, and how much they are taking from his father’s palace. He wants to put a stop to this and comes to the conclusion that he must find his father, or at least some information
Telemachus and Pisistratus arrive at Sparta. When they arrive Menelaus is hosting a double wedding feast for his son and daughter. Then, Menelaus serves Telemachus and Pisistratus food. Telemachus is amazed by Menelaus of how he takes care of the palace. Menelaus tells him a story that he has been wandering the sea for seven years and discovered that his brother Agamemnon was murdered. He also shared Telemachus that he lost a lot of friends during the Trojan war. He was deeply sudden with all these discoveries and realizes that it is better to stay home with his family and with his people by living honorably in Sparta. That is why the city of Sparta is well take care of because of his stay and ruling. Menelaus is satisfied with his city. Then, Menelaus talked about Odysseus and how he misses him so much and Telemachus cries. The room was quiet then Helen, Menelaus’s wife walks
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.
Thus, it is fitting that Homer depicts it as the final step of his endeavors. Certainly, Nestor was a great and wise aid to Telemachus, but his character is not exactly whom he needs imitate at this stage of his life. Rather, it is ultimately Menelaos who will be his prime examples of leadership, aided by the words of Peisistratos. Upon his arrival to Menelaos’ home, the scene is filled with the joys of marriage and wealth. Homer makes a particular effort to portray Menelaos as one Telemachus should look up too. In fact, Menelaos is so intimidating that Telemachus is too shy to speak. Peisistratos, in consequence, initiates the conversation for him, and all three men, Menelaos, Telemachus, and Peisistratos, begin to cry. For the first time, people are truly able to sympathize with Telemachus’ emotions toward his father. This is one of the unique ways Menelaos develops Telemachus’ leadership skills. The consolation from a prime father figure is key to his becoming a man. This emotional setting leads to Menelaos’ memories of Odysseus, lavishing his old friend with compliments and praise when speaking about him to Telemachus. This is something the son of Odysseus is desperate to hear. For he longs to know from a trusted figure the accomplishment and character of his father. Menelaos relays the tales of his wanderings, finally telling Telemachus about his father, who is alive but trapped on
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.
The reader first finds the character of Telemachus sitting among the suitors in his father’s palace. This seemingly unimportant detail yields information regarding his temperament. The suitors, whom Homer portrays as malicious usurpers, continue to take advantage of Telemachus’ hospitality. Instead of defending his home, his mother, and his belongings from these men, Telemachus numbers among them. This lack of assertiveness displays his frailty and his helplessness given the overwhelming circumstances. At this point, Athena, disguised as Odysseus’ old friend Mentes, visits Telemachus in order to “inspire his heart with courage” (I.105). The two share a meal and engage in a lengthy conversation. The goddess discusses how Telemachus should handle the troublesome suitors and suggests a journey to try to ascertain the whereabouts of Odysseus. The conversation appears to immediately galvanize the young man’s resolve. In fact, immediately after her departure, he summons the courage to confront the suitors, demanding that they are to leave his house at once. The assertiveness that Telemachus displays in this instance is a dramatic departure from ...