Homeric Value Of Hospitality In Homer's Odyssey

The concept of hospitality is clearly evident in society to this day. From the royal treatment of kings and queens to the warm welcomes shown by families, the Greek culture was no exception to this idea. As demonstrated in The Odyssey, a sense of respect was presented not only towards the Greek gods but also to the mortals themselves. Characters such as Odysseus rely on the hospitality of others for food, shelter, guidance and protection. Without it, many characters wouldn't have survived as they were often stranded in distant lands.

Xenia is the generosity and courtesy shown in the guest-host relationship. The whole concept of xenia began with the couple Baucis and Philemon, the only two people in their town to welcome the two disguised gods Zeus and Hermes into their home. The two were rewarded for their generosity, and the others punished. So in fear of the gods showing at their door, Greeks would welcome anyone with open arms and give them gifts; Homeowners would also receive gifts in return from the travelers.(Manolis) One of the first encounters of hospitality was when Odysseus receives advice from Circe.

Odysseus shows kindness to the people he meets on his journey again when he reaches the Laestrygonian land. Another time that Odysseus was kind to the people he met on his journey was when he was down in the underworld talking to Tiresias. Odysseus was very kind to Tiresias, understanding that he may not like him after what he did to Zeus. Odysseus demonstrates his kindness by saying “How, / lord can I make her know me for the man I am?” (11. 164-165).

Before knowing that Odysseus was who he was, he paid attention to him which shows the sign of being a substantial host unlike the suitors. This is proven by when he asks Eumaeus about the stranger: “How can I welcome this guest in my house? … One man, however powerful, can’t do much against superior numbers.” (Odyssey 16.

Throughout The Odyssey, the protagonist Odysseus is acquainted with the leaders and creatures of multiple islands on his journey back to Ithaka. Hospitality is an important aspect of Ancient Greek life, and the different people Odysseus encounters treat him with differing levels of respect. The various portrayals of the guest to host relationship can be seen through different actions taken by both parties. In The Odyssey, the recurring motif of hospitality that occurs in Odysseus ' journey and at his home in Ithaka provides evidence to the moral ethics of each character and their relationship with the gods.

For Ancient Greece, treating strangers with hospitality is expected. In Odysseus’s recent encounters, he was washed up on the shore of Phaeacia and was welcomed by the king and queen. Though Odysseus is a stranger upon the land of Phaeacia, kindness and aid is brought to him with the words of Alcinoüs, the King of Phaeacia, “I will fix your setting forth, and you may rest secure… until you reach your land and home or anywhere you please.” Treating travelers kindly was quite common in Ancient Greece, thus making “The Odyssey” quite relatable to its listeners. For if you are kind to your visitor, not only will your land receive a good reputation, it also aids in the advancement of trade and culture.

In the epic poem “The Odyssey” the main character and hero of this story is a wise king known as Odysseus. Throughout the story Odysseus portrays many different characteristics that belong to his personality as he tries to make his way back home to Ithaca. One of Odysseus’ traits is patience, which is used with many different characters as Odysseus uses this skill in his plans and strategies. The trait patience is important because, it is needed in real life scenarios, and can help keep someone calm or composed in tense situations. Patience also is useful because it can help an individual to be able to wait for long periods of times without getting upset or frustrated.

Although the chapter mainly focuses on Solomon Northup’s journey to Washington and kidnapping, Solomon’s actions and thoughts reveal a lot about him. An example is how the chapter conveys how innocent and optimistic he is and how he tries to see the best in people. Despite only seeing one performance from Merrill Brown to a scattered crowd, and never seeing the circus, Solomon still believes Brown and Hamilton to be who they say they are. His desire to find “present employment until the busy season should arrive” also shows his work ethic and what a hard worker he is. In addition, throughout the chapter, Solomon exhibits behaviour that reveals how observant he is.

Jay invites Nick to one of his parties by invite, which is a very rare occurrence (Fitzgerald). Jay had one soul purpose for inviting Nick and that is to have Nick help Jay get back together with Daisy. Now, while he does have this agenda and that is mainly why they became friends, Jay does treat Nick with the utmost respect and kindness. He is very generous to Nick to show him that he is worthy and so that Nick believes that he is a good person. He also tells Nick his true story, he confides in him with every secret he has ever held in.

One key value that is highlighted by the actions and words of characters in book 7 is Alconous ' kindness towards Odysseus and giving him a way to return home safely. He humbly accepts him into the palace and doesn 't think anything of it. He is very kind to Odysseus when he "took the hand of Odysseus, the cunning hero, and raised him from the fireside and had him sit on a polished chair from which he asked his son Laodamas to rise" (7.177-180). Odysseus tells him that he is hungry and deserves food for all that he has been through. The hall praised him and "they had poured libations and drunk to their heart 's content"(7.243-244).

Examining one’s life can bring many joys. There are many things that give people the idea that their lives are meaningful. These ideas could be the pursuit of pleasure and happiness, entertainment, sports, power and money, possessions and security, being famous and success, meeting other people, knowledge and every other thing that can give the smallest amount of happiness to the person. In the apology Plato describes Socrates’ venture to question people would were wise and content with their wisdom, but when they asked a series of questions to test their wisdom they were revealed not to be wise and were now upset. The flaw in that was that these people did not examine what had happened to them and did not learn from it.

Nixons speech given in September 23rd 1952 was given with the purpose of clearing his name. His speech consisted mostly of the perspective he wanted others to have of him. Consequently Nixon beach touch the viewers and provided his path for success. The drunken fish in from Nexus Speech leave the audience to believe that he is a man who is trusted by many such as a common and simple man. In line 11 he state I senator Nixon as a way to remind the audience that other people trust the important decisions he has made.

Odysseus is great benevolent King who shows leadership. He is the king of Ithaca. During his long mission he lands on Cyclopes Island. A place where he and his crew were expecting a tip-top hospitality and gifts. But instead what they got was a very poor hospitality.

Every stranger and beggar come from Zeus…” [Page 757 lines 63-66, Book 14]. As most people acknowledge, the host could not insult the guest, fail to protect the guest, or fail to be as hospitable as possible. The guest could not insult the host, make demands, or refuse xenia.

While Santiago was on the quest to find his Personal Legend, he began to forge a close relationship with a caravan driver that was taking him to an oasis. The caravan driver did not look like much, but he had proven to be a very wise man that has much wisdom to offer. During their voyage, tribe wars had begun to take place and everyone seemed to be worried about it except for this driver. Santiago had asked why this was so, and the caravan driver had responded that he does not think about the past, and he does not worry about the future. Instead, he only thinks about what is happening right in front of him and that by doing so he had found the key to his happiness.