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The Hospitality Of Xenia In Homer's The Odyssey

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While The Odyssey is essentially viewed as a story about epic journeys and homecoming, but the epic is also centered around hospitality, or xenia. Xenia is the relationship between a guest and their host. By properly observing the rules of xenia, the host should ultimately be respectful, in hopes that one day their guest may be able to give the host the same hospitality. In nearly every part of Odysseus’ adventure, the custom of xenia seems to figure in some way. In The Odyssey, by following the proper rules of xenia, and adventurer is able to find their way home, while improper guest-host relationships can lead to hardships for all parties. While xenia was an crucial part of Greek culture, there are no specific rules or laws written down.

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