The Important Role Of Xenia In Homer's Odyssey

In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, he tells the story of the mighty Odysseus. In this story a value called Xenia is essential to Odysseus’ and many others success and survival. The concept of Xenia is essentially hospitality taken to its limits, example being letting a complete stranger stay in your home for as long as they like. In this story Odysseus is granted Xenia a lot and could’ve died if he had not. This value, Xenia was very important to the ancient Greeks in The Odyssey, this is displayed in many ways one being when Odysseus stayed with the Phaeacians, also when Aeolus gives Odysseus supplies, and another when he kills all the suitors for improper Xenia.

To start with, the Xenia showed to Odysseus by the phaeacians granted odysseus a passage back to his native land. The phaeacians help him/display xenia by granting him a passage home that he's wanted for 20 years. “And on the way no pain or hardship suffered, not till he sets foot on native ground again.” This quote shows that the phaeacians will do anything to get our hero Odysseus back to his native land, for he

This event shows how important Xenia to the Ancient Greeks and to Odysseus because Odysseus literally executes every single one for false Xenia, for taking advantage of it. “You dogs! you never imagined I’d return from Troy— so cocksure that you bled my house to death, ravished my serving-women—wooed my wife behind my back while I was still alive! No fear of the gods who rule the skies up there, no fear that men’s revenge might arrive someday— now all your necks are in the noose—your doom is sealed!” This citation applies to Xenia not for the actual definition, but the reverse, it displays how important Xenia was to the Ancient Greeks in The Odyssey; because he killed them due to the suitors taking advantage of the ancient value and using it