Hospitality Is A Recurring Theme Throughout The Odyssey

Xenia is the generosity and hospitality the Greek give to their guest when people come over to their home. Hospitality plays a major role in Greek society. In American society, today hospitality is not a priority. The most we do is let guest in to sit and offer maybe food and water. In the Odyssey Homer shows in Greek culture that hospitality is very important several times in the text and should treat everyone as royalty.

Odysseus’s escape from the Cyclops is one of great intelligence. A Cyclops is a giant one eyed monster. Homer said, “The booming voice and the very sight of the monster filled us with panic” (IX, 256). From the first moment Odysseus and his men set eyes on the Cyclops they know they are in trouble and will not be able to get out easily. The Cyclops, Polyphemus, eats two of Odysseus’ men from the start. As soon as this happens, Odysseus

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.

Hospitality is mentioned all throughout the book. Hospitality is important to the people in that time. Zeus’s law of hospitality is that any stranger that comes to your home, the host must be willing to feed, entertain, and maybe offer them a bath and anything else they might be in need of without question until those things had been given, and also give them a parting gift. “It’s wrong my friend, to send any stranger packing-even one who arrives in worse shape than you. Every stranger and beggar comes from Zeus and whatever scrap they get from the likes of us, they’ll find it welcome.” (Book 14 pg.303 Line 64) This statement shows how important it is that the people follow Zeus’ law of xenia. Along with providing great hospitality the guest has to be respectful as well. Some of the biggest parts in the book that shows hospitality is with the Cyclops, and the goddesses Circe and Calypso, the suitors and the Phaeacians.

Finally, perhaps the most vital and well-known aspect of Greek culture is its religious beliefs and ideologies. Deeply pious in the gods, the Greeks believed the Zeus guarded the world with other Olympian gods, and these higher beings determined each individual’s future. Fate and destiny were believed in, and sacrifices were constantly committed in order to please the gods and gain their favor. Prayers to the gods for aid and help were common. Prophecies were numerous, although accurate ones were rare. And of course, the Greeks believed in the Underworld, a dreadful land with Hades as its ruler. “The Odyssey”, being in a Greek lifestyle, is naturally filled with references to these religious beliefs and thoughts. Odysseus and his companions often made sacrifices to the gods. He visits the Underworld to speak with the blind prophet Tiresias who accurately predicts Odysseus’s travels. Because of the prophet’s words, Odysseus is able to make his journey safely.

Polyphemus is seen in a negative light by not being the friendliest or most hospitable form of a person due to his nature. Odysseus and Polyphemus were having a conversation and out of no where Polyphemus attacked and ate two of Odysseus’ men. Odysseus says, “This brought no response

“ You are a ninny or else you come from the other end of nowhere telling me to mind the gods.” (11) Polyphemus is speaking to Odysseus in response to the last quote. He may be ugly, but he is no dummy. You are not going to fool me. “We Kyklopes care not a whistle for your thundering Zeus…..” (12) In this quote, Homer using figurative language “ simile” to emphasize and compare Zeus’s thundering as whistle to him. He’s not afraid of any Gods. That’s where it revealed Cyclops personality and perspective. We can see it by reason of “ Zeus.” He was known as the ruler of the Olympian Gods. He’s the most powerful gods in their culture. But, he compares Zeus’s thundering matching with a whistling. So, it provided the effects of hyperbole. In “ But in one stride he clutched at my companions and caught two in his hands like squirming puppies to beat their brains out, spattering the floor, then he dismembered them and made his meal…..” (13-15) This quote revealed the monster’s personality is that they are so powerful and almighty. The effects of imagery illuminates the conflicts among them as a result of monster’s personality, this means war to them, but Odysseus and his people are not his opponents. Due to the use of simile give us a sense that how strong they are. “Two men in his hands are like puppies.” (13) “ Then he dismembered them and made his meal…..”(15) This quote revealed monster’s characterization by saying he dismembered them. It gave us a sense of monsters are not the people you should mess with. The characteristic of them is always uncivil and

Hospitality shaped Greek life. This unspoken code, highly valued in Greek society, established responsibilities for both guests and hosts. Demonstrating generosity and kindness, honorable hosts offered their guests extravagant feasts, luxurious baths, and lavish housing. In response, gracious guests showed courtesy and respect to their hosts by refraining from abusing the hospitality extended towards them. Hospitality reveals the moral character of both hosts and guests in the Homerian epic The Odyssey.

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

Hospitality plays an important role in the first four chapters and without it, Telemachus could not have started to enter manhood. Telemachus shows great hospitality towards Athena in the beginning of the book: “‘Greetings, stranger! Here in our house you’ll find a royal welcome. Have supper first, then tell us what you need”’ (81. 144-147). By saying “‘you’ll find a royal welcome,”’ creates a warmer and more hospitable tone to the passage and lets the character know that they’re welcome. “‘Have supper first, then tell us what you need,”’ also gives off hospitable vibes, because Telemachus is not immediately questioning Athena, or acting in any way aggressively towards Athena. The second quote in which Athena expresses her concerns for Telemachus’s

The Greeks have been known for their hospitality and politeness, especially when treating guests- whether strangers or not. This is demonstrated near the beginning of the Odyssey when Telemachus went to Pylos to visit Nestor. Nestor, not knowing who he was taking into his home as guests, treated them with great honor and respect. "Now is the time," he said, "for a few questions, now that our young guests have enjoyed their dinner. Who are you, strangers? Where are you sailing from, and where to, down the highways of sea water (p 299)?" If ever Greeks were to serve themselves before their guests or even a little better than them, then they were breaking the most basic of all Greek customs,

Polyphemus, a low-life, gullible cyclopes, who plays an important part in the journey Odysseus takes across a great ocean. (CM) The rocky, grassy island lies in the unknown waters of this ocean. (CD) Foreshadowing that Odysseus and his men will be trapped on the island in some way.(CM) Odysseus tricked Polyphemus, a huge, one-eyed beast, into believing that his name was “Nobody.” (CD) Thus showing Polyphemus will believe anything told to him.(CM) In the cave Polyphemus consumed one of Odysseus’ men after the food storage had been nearly wiped out.(CD) Showing that Polyphemus is a vile beast that is not afraid to kill.(CM) The Cyclops is a innocent beast that is easily provoked into madness.(CM)

Odysseus and Polyphemus: A Matter of Perspective The Odyssey is a collection of short stories of the amazing and otherworldly adventures that Odysseus undergoes in order to find his way back home in Ithaca and to ultimately reunite with his wife after twenty lengthy years of disappearance. One particular event that stood out was his interaction with Polyphemus, a one-eyed, giant cyclops that killed many of Odysseus’ crew, and nearly himself. In the Odyssey, Polyphemus and his neighbors are described as barbaric giants, that follow no laws, have no courteousness, or xenia (hospitality shown towards guests). What if these traits were only described from Odysseus’ perspective?

Annabeth had figured Polyphemus would still have a grudge about that name, and she was right” (212). Annabeth confronts the cyclops on her own to distract him and uses her wits to think of a way to throw the cyclops off balance. Annabeth rightly believes that using the name Nobody will bring out Polyphemus’s hatred and cloud his mind, thus putting him mentally off balance. The bravery and ingenuity displayed by Odysseus and Annabeth are highlighted as positive traits to have in both Ancient Greece and modern times. The authors want their readers to develop these characteristics as part of their personality, thus they show the positive consequences these traits had for both Odysseus and Annabeth.

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.