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To what extent does the Odyssey demonstrate the importance of xenia in homerica society
Xenia in Odyssey
Ancient greek hospitality traditions
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In The Odyssey, written by Homer, one concept which is repeated continually throughout this Greek epic, is the notion of Xenia. Xenia is the ancient concept of hospitality, in which it encompasses generosity and courtesy towards one’s guest and host; which is watched over by the god of suppliants, Zeus. Xenia can be thought of as a guest-host relationship, in which both the host and guest have obligations and rules to follow. Firstly, the host must provide the guest food, drink, bath and gifts when they leave. Whereas the guest must be affable and respectful, but also provide a gift if there be any. Thus in Homer’s The Odyssey, Xenia is viewed as a key component of the Greek culture, as Homer can be interpreted as teaching a lesson in which …show more content…
the values of Xenia are passed down through this Greek epic. A great example of Xenia, can be seen between Odysseus’ interactions with the Phaeacian people of Scherie. The citizens of Scherie, are very well known for their hospitality, as they respect Zeus. This can be clearly seen when Nausicaa addresses her maids: “This man is an unfortunate wanderer who has strayed here, and we must look after him, since all strangers and beggars come under the protection of Zeus, and to such people a small gift can mean much. So give him food and drink, girls, and bathe him in the river [...] “(Homer 81). This quote shows how, even though Nausicaa has never met Odysseus before, she respects him. Thus she takes matters into her hands, to show good hospitality to him. As she can be seen following the rule of a host, of offering food, drink and a bath. Homer is teaching us through this event that we should be courteous and respectful to anyone we meet, whether they are a stranger or not. The Phaeacians demonstrate their excellence of Xenia when Nausicaa’s mother says to her father: “Sir, tell him to get up and sit on one of the silver chairs, and tell you squire's to mix some more wine so that we can make a fresh libation, to Zeus the Thunderer, patron of suppliants, who deserve respect.” (Homer 89). Once again this portrays their devotion to Zeus, the god of suppliants, as they praised him. Furthermore, this shows how they honoured Odysseus, as they made sure he had proper sitting, and was treated to some freshly made wine. Homer, develops the idea of respecting the guest in the way that they are not of a lower class, thus making they deserve the same respect as everyone else. The third part of the rules enforced against a host, of giving gifts to the guest when they leave is fulfilled when King Alcinous offer Odysseus a worthy gift: “I wish that a man like you , like minded with myself, could have my daughter and remain here as my son-in-law - I would give you a house and riches. That is, if you are willing to stay. But not one of us Phaeacian shall detain you. God forbid such a thing!” (Homer 92). King Alcinous offer Odysseus a gift of much value. But we can also recognize that although Alcinous offered such a gift, he also remained considerate towards Odysseus. As he did not want to force Odysseus to stay against his will, thus in turn respecting his wishes. Homer, edifies us that no matter the value of the gift given, we should also remain mindful of the emotions and true wishes of our guest.We can see that though Odysseus’ stay in Scheire was not long, the Phaeacians were able to demonstrate Xenia, in every single aspect; allowing Homer to pass its value through this event. Similarly, Xenia is illustrated once again through the events which occurred, during Odysseus’ visit to the land of the cyclops’.
As Odysseus and his crew wander the land and visits Polyphemus’ home, we come to see how the guest can disobey the rules of Xenia.“To start with my men begged me to let them take away some of the cheeses. Then come back, drive the kids and lambs quickly out of the pens down to the good ship, and so set sail across the salt water.” (Homer 116). Through Odysseus’ short narration of his crew's desires, we can realize that they infact did violate the rule, of respecting the host. As they barged into someone's house and started to become a burden to the host, as they exploited the fact that there was a lot of food. By also using a post-colonialist lens, we can see how, the barged into someone’s house, and without permission started to take what was there. Homer, uses this scenario, to help instill in his readers that the guest should abide by the rules of Xenia, regardless of who the host may be. Following Xenia, was truly important during that time, as they feared the gods, and the punishments they could receive. Thus, when Odysseus assertively says: “Good sir, remember your duty to the gods; we are your suppliants, and Zeus is the champion of suppliants and guests. He is the god of guests: guests are sacred to him, and he goes alongside them” (Homer 117). He is trying to distill fear of the gods into the host, as he pleads to the host previously: “We find ourselves here as suppliants at your knees, in the hope that you may give us hospitality, or even give us the kind of gifts that hosts customarily give their guest.” (Homer 117). From this, Homer teaches us the true importance of host Xenia. As guests are sacred to Zeus, thus he also inturn accompanies the guests too. Inducing, more pressure on the host to follow the rules of Xenia. Through another interaction with Polyphemus we can analyse 2 important aspects of Xenia.“ ‘Here,
Cyclops, have some wine to wash down that meal of human flesh, and find out for yourself what kind of vintage was stored away in our ship’s hold. I brought it for you as an offering in the hope that you would take pity on men and help me on my homeward way.” (Homer 119). Firstly, we can see how the host clearly disobeys the rule of Xenia, as he is eating them. Secondly, we can see that the guest is still showing respect, as Odysseus offers a gift of wine. Homer, uses this incident to help pass down the value of Xenia, but also it’s punishments. As expressed when Odysseus exclaims to Polyphemus :“And your crimes were bound to catch up with you [...] Now Zeus and all the other gods have paid you out” (Homer 122). In contrast to the Phaeacians, Homer uses Polyphemus , to teach us that punishment is inevitable, once the rules are disregarded. Equivalently, Calypso, can be seen showing her prowess in hospitality, through her interactions with Hermes: “You are an honoured and welcome guest, though in the past your visits have been few. Tell me what is in you mind, and I will gladly do what you ask of me, if I can and if it must be so. But first follow me inside and let me offer you hospitality” (Homer 65). Evidently, we can feel how warm and welcoming Calypso is no matter who the guest maybe; whether a mortal or a god. She shows respect and graciousness as she would gladly do what she is asked, if possible. Calypso can also be seen here following a feminine characteristic in an epic, of deferring to masculine authority. As though they both may be gods, she must pay far more respect to a male god than to one of the same gender. The main, message Homer passes down, is that the host should be as welcoming as much as possible, regardless of the guest. Although being welcoming is important in Xenia. The most important aspect would have to be the host ability to provide the guest their basic need. Calypso, reveals to Hermes how she does exactly that: “ [...] I welcomed him with open arms; I tended him; I offered to make him immortal and ageless.” (Homer 66). This shows how She in fact goes beyond the basic rules of a host. As other than giving him a food, drink and a bath, she also offers him something of immense value; immortality. Thus Homer, teaches us that a host should indeed follow the most basic rule of Xenia, but at the same time try to go above and beyond, but according to their capacity. Finally, Calypso fulfils the last aspect of hostess Xenia, by appropriately gifting Odysseus before he leaves. “ [...] Calypso saw him off from the island. She bathed him first and dressed him in sweet-smelling clothes. She had also stowed two skins in his boat, one full of dark wine, the other larger one of water, as well as a leather sack of grain and quantities of appetizing meats.” (Homer 69). Calypso shows her generosity as the host, as she bestows great gifts to Odysseus before he departs. As once again the gifts are of high value. Once again Homer, teaches us that besides just giving a parting gift, the host should try to give something a great value, but once again according to their ability. Homer teaches through this epic that Xenia is viewed as a key component of the Greek culture, as Homer can be interpreted as teaching a lesson in which the values of Xenia are passed down through this Greek epic. Through the three events mentioned; Calypso’s, Polyphemus’, and the Phaeacians demonstration of Xenia. With all of these examples of Xenia throughout the book, we can see a glimpse into what the Greek culture was like in that time period. As a guest-host relationship was greatly valued among Achaeans. We should learn how to apply and integrate such an aspect into our lives as well.
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.”
Understanding a story requires more than just reading words and matching them with a general definition. One needs the ability to comprehend the themes by carefully reading between the lines. The concept of xenia is displayed numerous times throughout The Odyssey. Xenia is a type of hospitality that many of the Greeks found necessary to abide by. As Carly said in her description of xenia, it "describes guest-friendship as a sort of custom of the home." In order to fully grasp the idea of the book, one must understand this Greek hospitality and the significance it served to many Greeks during this era. If there were an absence of xenia, The Odyssey would not have any cultural depth to it; instead, it would be a book solely about a war hero who experiences few obstacles on his way home. The main characters of The Odyssey followed the unwritten code of xenos, even if it was not self-beneficiary. Them being
“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.
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.
Hospitality or Xenia (Greek for guest-friendship) is a prevalent theme used throughout the Odyssey and helps the readers understand more about Greek culture in the Bronze Age. However in that time it was more like Philoxenia (Extending hospitality to one far from his home). Homer used hospitality to define his characters and shows how it affects them. He introduces their cunning personality traits and ignorance through hospitality. He demonstrates how it affects the gods, and odysseus’s journey, and uses literary elements to do so.
Altogether, hospitality was an important theme for Odysseus, during his adventure back to Ithica. Hospitality also played an important role for Telemachus, and the search for information about the whereabouts of his father. Without this tradition of Greek hospitality, the sequence of events in The Odyssey could have changed drastically. Not only was this Greek custom of hospitality important in The Odyssey, it was also important to Greek citizens. Just the simple tradition of hospitality, whether positive or negative, can explain much about Greek citizens, and how they treat each other.
Polyphemus (the cyclops) proves that bad hospitality leads to bad karma. Polyphemus and his fellow cyclops’s have no councils, no laws, and no traditions of hospitality or civility . Odysseus persists on staying at the cyclops’s island to try the hospitality of the owner, which resulted in the death of several of his men. Odysseus narrates, “To this he gave me but a pitiless answer, ‘Stranger,’ said he, ‘you are a fool, or else you know nothing of this country. Talk to me, indeed, about fearing the gods or shunning their anger? We Cyclopes do not care about Jove or any of your blessed gods, for we are ever so much stronger than they…'”. (9.272-275) The Cyclops’s are another example of ill-treatment of guests, a son of Poseidon and almost as powerful as the gods, Polyphemus scoffs at the concept of hospitality and welcomes his guests by devouring two for dinner. Polyphemus’s treatment of his guests quickly showed that he was an inconsiderate character with low moral standards. Ultimately, how a host treats their guest will determine their well being aswell. If you welcome someone kindly into your home, the guest, in most cases will respect you as well. A friendly guest-host relationship was the key to non-quarrelsome associations in The Odyssey. Since the Cyclops was a heinous host in The Odyssey it was inevitable for him to receive bad fortune for it. When Polyphemus decided to eat,
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.
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.
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 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 should be given to a guest because of how they treat Telemachos. The Cyclops, Polyphemos, shows how xenia can be not given at all, by the way that he treats Odysseus and his men. How one disregards the rules of hospitality, and does it knowingly, is how the suitors behaved. Throughout the Odyssey, Homer writes about many different instances of good hospitality, like the people of Pylos. Homer also shows instances of bad hospitality, like how the suitors behave as guests and how Polyphemos treats his guests. No matter if it is a good or bad example of hospitality, the impression of how important xenia is to the Greeks is always present. All of the Greeks follow the rules of hospitality to the nines, for fear that they will be struck by Zeus’s lightning bolt.
And that is the brilliance of Homer. He takes The Odyssey told in his day as an oral tradition and turns it into a masterful book that has meaning even into today. Homer believes that we should all be kind to our fellow man. In ancient Greece, that means being hospitable to whoever steps into your domain. Anyone who will show hospitality: Telemachus, Nestor, Menelaus, and Alcinous, is revered as a good man worthy of respect and honor, but those that cannot or will not respect xenos are subject to the vengeance that they receive: Aegisthus, Polyphemus, the Laestrygonians, and Circes. Homer wants us all to be hospitable in our lives and he uses Telemachus’ and Odysseus’ journeys in The Odyssey to show us this.
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 opposition to this, Odysseus’ request for hospitality is followed by the Cyclops stating, “you are a fool…we Cyclopes do not care about Zeus or any of your blessed gods for we are ever so much stronger than they” (92/93). In accordance to this, the greatest reason for one to show hospitality was because they believe...