The Theme Of Hospitality In Homer's Odyssey

Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey is one of the most complex pieces of literature in the field of classics, the intricacies and hidden meanings that are engrained in the text make it a perfect source to examine the behaviors that were valued and displayed in Greek society. Hospitality is one of the major behavioral patterns that is central to this epic as well as ancient Greek society. Homer helps the reader to understand this code of behavior by writing vivid scenes where the audience can see what lengths the hosts are willing to go to in order to please their guests. However, this understanding is complicated by some abuses of hospitality by the protagonists, Odysseus and Telemachus when they themselves are guests, receiving others hospitality.

In the Iliad, hospitality is a reoccurring theme that can change situations, inspire character development, and link itself with other themes to make concrete points. Throughout the Iliad, situations are dramatically shifted when hospitality is used. In many cases, when things are going awry, hospitality allows the characters to, instead of acting like animals, find the humanity inside themselves. For example, in book nine, Nestor proposes a feast for Achilles to try and get him to rejoin the Greek force. Hospitality is especially important in this example, because Achilles was angry but also hospitable. If Achilles was angry but not hospitable the scene would have played out much differently. When Achilles is angry but not hospitable, like in the original fight between him and Agamemnon which

In the epic The Odyssey, Homer supports the Greek tradition of hospitality when Aeolus helps Odysseus get to Ithaca and King Alcinous provides Odysseus the resources to return home to reveal the thematic understanding that society should act towards others in a way that reflects how they would want others to act towards them.

Xenia, The Law of Hospitality The theme of Xenia was one of the most spotted out in The Odyssey, which is the Law of Hospitality. The Law of Hospitality is being polite to strangers who need assistance but it is more than it’s a host and guest relationship. Xenia is seen throughout The Odyssey. Xenia provides an effort of making the community a safer and better community.

Throughout history, feasting has been a way to bring people together, to celebrate, and to entertain. In Homer’s play, The Odyssey, food serves multiple purposes. The opulent banquet that Telemachus attends in Sparta with Menelaus displays the hospitality and wealth of the Spartan royalty, and provides key information about the whereabouts of Odysseus. While this instance of feasting displays how eating can bring people together to celebrate, overindulging in the Odyssey is also portrayed negatively. As the play progresses, readers learn that excessive and unnecessary eating is one of the reasons that Odysseus does not quickly return home to Penelope, and additionally, it is the reason that many of the crewmen do not return at all.

For example Odysseus and is talking to his late mother and he says, “Tell me of Father, tell me of the son I left behind me; have they still my place, my honors or have other men assumed them? Do they say that I shall come no more? And tell me of my wife: how runs her though, still with her child, still keeping our domains, or bride again to the best of the Akhaians?” (Homer 190).

From Odysseus’ time with Calypso in Ogygia up until the moment he takes back his home and wife from the suitors in Ithaca, the struggles he faces help answer what makes for a good life. Homer uses Odysseus’ journey throughout “The Odyssey” to identify four aspects of a good life: mortality, honor, hospitality, and experiences. Homer reveals that mortality is necessary for a good life when Odysseus denies the opportunity for immortality that Calypso offers, he shows the significance of honor in his description of Odysseus’ bravery in the Trojan war and the consequent respect that Odysseus’ crew has for him, Homer reinforces the importance of hospitality in each city Odysseus travels to, and he conveys that experiences, good or bad, define a good life. The Greeks held their gods in high esteem and therefore when Homer or other characters in the epic refer to Odysseus as being “godlike,” this is one of the highest compliments he could receive.

As eager as Odysseus is to get back home to his wife and son in Ithaca, the shipmates on board with him are struggling with hunger and the loss of energy. Looking at Odysseus’ intense determination to return to his town, it seems as if the only idea that is filled in his mind is to go back to Ithaca without looking at the tired condition of his shipmates. Odysseus’ yelled difficult orders and tasks that were expected to be fulfilled by his sailors, and for the most part they were able to complete it. Looking at the poor men rowing day and night over the monstrous waves, Odysseus never gave them a chance to take a break and enjoy a single meal, until one shipmate decided to speak up. Even so, Odysseus was narrow-minded and thought only about

When Telemachus informs Menelaos that there are suitors residing in Odysseus’ home, Menelaos responds “I pray he comes as once he was... If only that Odysseus met the suitors,/ they’d have their consummation, a cold bed!“ (Homer 4.371-372). Furthermore, when Athena advises Telemachus on how he should handle the suitors, she suggests,

The natives there gave Odysseus and his men an intoxicating fruit of the lotus. After Odysseus and his men eat the fruit, they forget all of their thoughts about home and decide to eat more of the fruit. The only way that Odysseus can get him and his men back home is by dragging his men back to the ship and lock them up, Odysseus decides to go along with it. When Odysseus went back to Ithaca, He made the wise choice to go and see his wife Penelope. Odysseus was so brave to go see his wife because he didn’t know if she was going to recognize him at all or want to be with him for the rest of her life.

Society today has lead us to think about many things in different ways. Your parents have always told you how you should never talk to strangers or pay attention to them, but aren't we all strangers? Growing up, the adults in my eyes were all somewhat strangers excluding my parents. My parents were the ones I was supposed to trust and teach me the ways of being a good person. My mom still talks about how as long as I become a good person she’ll be happy, but what does becoming a good person mean?

A character in the odyssey each has one of those themes against Odysseus. The first theme that odysseus always gets in the odyssey is hospitality. Hospitality is a friendly or generous entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. A example of hospitality in the odyssey is when the phaeacians give odysseus clothes and food. This happens right after he came back from Calypso’s island.

In Homer's intriguing epic, a recurring idea throughout the story is hospitality and how people in that era in ancient Greece showed hospitality to all of their guests no matter who it was. Odysseus the protagonist of the Greek classic was the king of Ithaca and had set out for war to return many years later. In the Odyssey, Odysseus was on the receiving end of hospitality throughout the epic

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.

LEFT justify and indent first line. TAG? CA? In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, Ancient Greeks strongly believed in providing their guests with excellent hospitality because in Ancient Greece, it was believed that any stranger may be a god in disguise, so Penelope does nothing out of the ordinary when she warmly welcomes people into her home. Though Penelope treats her guests no differently than she would a king, she enjoys and is comforted by the presence of her hosts, and she takes care of and provides hospitality for people that she does not even know. Penelope goes out of her way to be a magnificent host because it's expected of her. Penelope being gracious is when she instructs her maids to make a beggar, who has a story to tell about Odysseus,