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Throughout his work, The Odyssey, Homer develops a potent theme of hospitality. In the times of ancient Greece, Xenia- or the guest law- was a very important concept. Xenia consisted of two basic rules: the host must welcome in the guest, feed them, and take care of them; in return the guest would be courteous to the host. In The Odyssey, Xenia is one of the only codes of moral conduct that is universal, and a characters hospitality influences others on their journeys throughout the book. When the Phaeacians show a strong sense of hospitality towards Odysseus, he benefits strongly from it and is able to arrive home as a cause of their generosity. On the contrary, when Circe and Polyphemus show a lack of hospitality, they are punished for their doings. Throughout The …show more content…
They mistreat Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus. Many years after Odysseus left to the Trojan war, the suitors come to win Penelope 's hand in marriage. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as Odysseus had been gone for a long time. However, they mistreat Penelope and Telemachus and later face the consequences of this. Penelope treats them the best she can by feeding and clothing them, but they do not treat her well in return. They take over her house, eating lots of her food and killing her livestock. When Telemachus goes on a journey to find his father, they decide they are going to try to kill him. Although they are not successful, the mere fact that they attempted to kill their hosts son reflected poorly on them. When Odysseus comes home disguised as a beggar many of the suitors mistreat him. Antinoos, the main instigator of the mistreatment, commands him to leave and even threatens to skin him (Homer 222). When Odysseus reveals himself, Athena helps him and Telemachus kill all of the suitors (Homer 275). As a consequence of their mistreatment towards Odysseus and his family, the suitors are killed by
“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.
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.
When it comes to hospitality, Greeks stand atop the list of all cultures for their generosity and politeness towards strangers. “Philoxenia” is the Greek word for “the love of strangers”. Philoxenia is demonstrated in several different cases in Homer’s The Odyssey. According to Greek customs, hospitality is respected by the immortal gods. If the Greek code of hospitality is not performed correctly, or not performed at all, the consequences may be very severe, gods may unleash their wrath to whoever does not follow this tradition of thoughtfulness. Homer suggests both positive and negative commentary on his own world through the examples of hospitalities that provide The Odyssey.
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.
...lts of the insolent suitors in his own home. The anger of Odysseus is only matched by Telemachus whose restraint is forcefully elevated in order to hamper his new mature instinct of defending his father. Meanwhile, Odysseus is forced to couple this with control over holding his love, Penelope, in his arms. Yet, both characters are able to avoid the impediments and at last battle side by side against their foes.
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 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.
The bloody revenge of the suitors, not all of who deserved their gruesome deaths, is only justifiable because Odysseus is portrayed as such an remarkable epic hero who has slaughtered many men in his lifetime, and now that he is at his lowest point, he has to prove to his family, the suitors, Athena, and himself that he is still godlike in combat. Prior to killing the suitors, Odysseus calls himself very weak and incapable of killing the suitors, followed by saying he would rather be killed now than have to face them. Queen Penelope decides that she will choose a husband based on who...
Throughout the poem, Penelope encourages the suitors to stay in her home by making them think they are welcome. With Odysseus gone Penelope chooses whom she hosts in the great palace. Penelope does hate the suitors but she never once tells them to leave. She even makes the suitors think that she would be choosing her new husband soon and in this way she makes them feel welcome in her home. Antinous, a suitor, responds to accusations Telemachus made to the suitors at an assembly.
Hospitality is defined as the generous and friendly reception and entertainment of ones guests’, visitors, or strangers. In Homer’s the Iliad and the Odyssey hospitality is a major theme in his works. The gods demanded hospitality in Ancient Greece.
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.
Xenia, the Greek concept of hospitality and guest-host relationship, was an important rule that everyone is expected to live by. One example of Homeric Greeks that followed Xenia were the Phaeacians who had complied with the tradition by hosting Odysseus after he had landed on their island. Another example of Xenia is when Menelaus had greeted Telemachus into Sparta and treating him with the proper respect that Xenia demands. Although there are many who follow Xenia, there are those who do not. The cyclops, Polyphemus, does not behold this tradition by not treating Odysseus and his crew with respect and hospitality. In Homer's epic, The Odyssey, Xenia is shown as an important tradition by the development of the Phaeacians, Menelaus, and Polyphemus.
The Odyssey is an epic poem attributed to the now-famous Greek poet, Homer, written approximately in the early sixth century B.C.E. The poem shares the tale of the wily adventuring solider, Odysseus', return from the Trojan war to his wife and home in Ithaca. The poem details his misadventures, the efforts of his son, Telemachus, to find him, and revenge on his wife's suitors. While many themes run through this poem, the most prevalent is that of hospitality. The Host-Guest relationship is significant in the Odyssey as it acts as one of the main thematic devices used by Homer and examples of good hospitality versus bad hospitality and their results serve as the main plot elements throughout the tale.
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 ...