Examples Of Bad Hospitality In The Odyssey

The concept of guest hospitality is extremely important in ancient Greece. Hospitality, or Xenia, is so essential in Greek society that Zeus, in addition to being the king of the Gods, is also the God of travelers (Wikipedia). This created an obligation for the host to be hospitable to their guests, and conversely, the guests had their own responsibilities as well. If either the host or the guest was to break any rule set by Xenia, there would be severe penalties dealt by Zeus and also by society (Wikipedia). In The Odyssey, Xenia is a theme which is shown repeatedly throughout the book: Nestor and Menelaos take in Telemakhos warmly as a guest and Eumaios plays an excellent host to Odysseus, while Odysseus is disguised as a wandering

Homer values the characteristic of hospitality because the characters who do not demonstrate this characteristic typically suffer fatal or near-fatal injuries. In the Odyssey, Penelope (Odysseus’ wife) was hosting an event to make one of the suitors (potential marriage partners) her new husband because she had given up hope that Odysseus would not return home. The men who were at her house would just eat and drink, and showed no hospitality (21.70-78). In the Odyssey, Odysseus had attended this event disguised, and became aware of Penelope’s discourteous guests. Odysseus then goes on a “rampage” and slaughters all of the guests except for a few men who Telemachus (Odysseus’ son) swore their loyalty (22.16-529). Additionally, in chapter 21, Antinoös was the first to be killed because of his abrupt and rude manners, and distinctly

The general question was, what does ancient Greek culture value? A way of interpreting this is, what is the most valued trait in Greek culture based upon the reading. Respect sees to be the most general of all traits. All of these events have shown respect toward the gods. When Odysseus had to fight the Cyclops and the suitors is all out of consideration for the gods and their values towards the people. Since Odysseus is thankful and is being respectful the gods give him help in return, a little role change. Odysseus also helps the gods by telling a person or people the rules of being a good host for new

Hospitality goes two ways; Guest have responsibilities just like the host does. The suitors, who are actually unwelcomed, guest takes Odysseus’s wife hospitality for granted as they waste all the goods and try to get at her constantly. Also when Odysseus returns in the disguise of an old man, the suitors treat him with great inhospitality.

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.

The Cyclops shows bad hospitality. He comes home to Odysseus and his men. Instead of being hospitable, he starts eating his men. When Odysseus asks the Cyclops for hospitality, the Cyclops replies “We Cyclops never blink at Zeus and Zeus’ shield of storm and thunder, or any other blessed god- we’ve got more force by far.”(Book 9, pg 220, Line 309). Odysseus didn’t act very hospitable. He asked and seemed demanding toward the Cyclops. When you are a guest you’re supposed to allow your host to extend hospitality not ask or demand. Although the Cyclops was not

Xenia is the ancient Greek concept of hospitality, the generosity shown to those who are far from home. Xenia is an important theme in the Odyssey – it is shown in the numerous characters, whether royal or monstrous, that Telemachus and Odysseus encounter, and could be shown as willingly given and wanted hospitality, unwanted/overwhelming, or unwillingly given; these encounters can also show lack of hospitality. This essay will discuss what xenia was to the ancient Greeks, and how this virtue was portrayed in the Odyssey.

Odysseus is shown to be uncivilized through his interactions with Polyphemus. Although Odysseus was originally a very civilized king of Ithaca, the Trojan War brutalized him. In the midst of constant bloodshed, Odysseus transformed from a civilized king who always respected the hospitality rules into an uncivilized man who disregards the rules of hospitality when it does not benefit him. Odysseus ends up acting more uncivilized than the Cyclopians, who are known for their lack of society. The Cyclops lack culture, agriculture, and community. Odysseus explains, “These Cyclopians have no parliament for debates and no laws, but they live on high mountains in hollow caves; each one lays down the law for wife and children, and no one cares for his neighbours” (108). As Odysseus and his crew arrive at the cave of Polyphemus, they do not wait for him to return home; instead, Odysseus and twelve of his men enter the cave, uninvited. While they do bring gifts, something important to hospitality, they cannot resist all of the food and end up helping themselves “to as many cheeses as [they] wanted to eat” (111). By eating Polyphemus’s food, Odysseus disobeys the rules of hospitality by not waiting for Polyphemus to return. While the cyclops defies the hospitality rules by eating several of his guests, he only does this in response to the crew’s violation of hospitality. Hospitality is considered one of the cornerstones of civilization. By disobeying hospitality before Polyphemus even has a chance to follow its rules, Odysseus acts even more uncivilized than the monster who lacks civilization.

More specifically in the words of Menelaus to his servant when he is asked if the strangers should be send away: " ‘Eteoneus, son of Boethus, you have not always been a fool; but at the moment you are talking nonsense like a child. You and I enjoyed much hospitality from strangers before we reached our homes and could expect that Zeus might grant us a life without suffering in time to come. Unyoke their horses at once, and bring our visitors to join us at the feast.”(Book#4 line 31-36) He tells his servant to bring the guests to be feasted. Another great custom is seen when Menelaus sends Telemachus and Nestor's son on their way. He gives them precious and expensive gifts. What is the reason for this customs? What is their meaning and significance? If this friendliness did not exist among the characters in the book, Odysseus would never be able to go to his homeland, Ithaca. There would not have been a homecoming that long, and may be the plot of the story would have been different, if Homer did not introduce the detaining of Odysseus at Calypso’s island. The goddess is in love with the mortal and for a long time tries to persuade him to be her husband, only the will of the hero is to go back to his wife and already grown son. Even though holding him against his will, Calypso is a very good hostess. She never harms Odysseus's. She cooks for him and bathes him but never uses her powers in a

Throughout Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus the main character in the story is tested with the true meaning of hospitality. In the heroic age, hospitality was viewed as punishment or acceptance of a stranger. While Odysseus longed for his return to home, he faced the two different kinds of hospitality offered within the heroic age. My theory is that Odysseus was provided with good hospitality when he would enter a town that allowed him to eat at their table, bathed within their baths, and sleep within their homes. The townspeople and their king often provided superior hospitality for strangers without questioning them first. It's thought that maybe the wonderful hospitality was provided in return of viewing the stranger as a

When Odysseus returned home to his wife and son, he took a very brutal approach to rid his home of the suitors who had invaded his household.  This revenge was also taken out upon the servants and maids who had been unfaithful to Penelope and had slept with the suitors.  Some may say this punishment was too harsh, and made Odysseus less than an honorable man.  However, Odysseus’s actions were justifiable.

The persistence in 'abusing the hospitality of this house" as well as the "pretext' of marriage can be combined with the "abounding in wealth" as independent reasons why Odysseus' anger is justifed. In the larger sense , his anger is further substained by hearing his wife speak these words. There is a dependency present in Homer's depiction: Odysseus having to see his house reduced to an undignified state and seeing his beloved wife imloring the men who disrespect his home to simply listen her. This instant could be seen as a justfication of his brutality towards the

The girls washed, fed, and clothed him. Impressed with his manliness, Nausicca told him how to get into town and appeal to her mother for even greater hospitality. Queen Arete and King Alcinous gave Odysseus the best of what they had and showed him great hospitality. The King also offered his daughter's hand in marriage, or if he desired, assistance in returning home.

The food, game, and resources in Odysseus’s manor is taken voraciously by the suitors, and there is nothing that his son and wife, Telemachus and Penelope, can do. They treat the king’s family with such disrespect that Athena helps Odysseus plan to kill them. The suitors do not pay attention to the fact that they are being so ill behaved. One suitor in particular, Antinous, throws a stool at Odysseus when he is disguised as a beggar. Another suitor mentions that this may upset the gods; after all, the gods tend to visit Greece in the guise of someone wishing for help. The fact that Antinous so bluntly disregards this only adds to the gods’ wish for him and the suitors’ deaths. The actions of the suitors come back to haunt them, when Odysseus kills them all with no mercy. Odysseus’s actions, however have earned him good favor from the

Each culture treats strangers and guests with distinct differences from every other culture. One of the most hospitable cultures was that of the ancient Greeks, exemplified in Homer’s The Odyssey by both gracious hosts and guests. In Greece and The Odyssey, not only was good hospitality etiquette expected, but the added pressure from the conviction that the gods would punish the host if guests were treated without respect (whether they were poor or rich) further compelled excellent manners. The Odyssey illustrates the proper etiquette when dealing with guests.