The Significance of ?Xenia? Essay

guest/host, positive things will happen. In contrast, the wrongdoings of this ethical norm results in negativity. An example in which there is a good host and a good guest is the relationship between Odysseus and Eumaios, the swine herder. Despite Odysseus' appearance as a beggar, since he is in disguise, Eumaios treats him with the same respect as he would any person. He takes him into his home and tells him to enjoy himself. Also, Eumaios "laid a bed for him near the fire, a heap of sheepskins, and there, Odysseus laid down". This is a good indication that the swineherd is a good host. Another example of a guest/host relationship where both behave complementary to each other is the relationship between Telemachos and King Menelaos. The guest, Telemachos, treats his host with respect and dignity. He addresses Menelaos as "my lord" to give reassurance to his kindness. Telemachos is very kind to his host by saying "Zeus must have such a place" referring to Menelaos' house. He does this to let him know that he is a good guest to have

Hospitality is shown throughout Odysseus adventures. Many people would offer gift and feast in order to welcome the visitor (Odysseus). “Stranger, there is no quirk or evil in you that I can see. You know Zeus metes out fortune to good and bad men as it pleases him. Hardship he sent to you, and you must bear it. But now that you have taken refuge here you shall not lack for clothing, or any other comfort due to a poor man in distress” (Book 6, lines 201-207). Nausikaa introduces

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

The Odyssey by Homer is a great text that manipulates the skill of storytelling bringing out the meaning of being human, the spiritual and physical homecoming. It is an archetypal epic expedition essential for understanding ourselves and other modern texts following the same pattern. The text brings out the ancient Greek beliefs and customs that are essential in studying Western Literature through the evaluation of different characters, and the themes manifested are essential in establishing a good foundation for any literature student. The themes therein such as leadership skills, folly, retaliation, mythology, death, ogres, temptation seduction, deceit, and warfare make the text an essential student companion in the quest of comprehending literature.

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 filled with emotion and adventure. Homer’s ability to show and give the reader a visual of each and every scene gives the story its unbelievable significance. To all the people who read his work there is something to be captured within every sentence, each one different in its own, unique way. Through tales of courage and defeat, friendship and love this book tells of all the values within the life of a single, solitary man, and his journey to attain what is true and dear to him. And this journey is known to all of us as The Odyssey. The Odyssey is a test of human devotion and trust through the gods, the mortals, and the obstacles through which they venture. No matter where they go or what they do, humans are tested for

Homer’s epic poem, “The Odyssey” reveals many aspects of ancient Greek life and culture through character and plot. Through each of the tales circling the life of Odysseus and the Greek people, Homer depicts the history, legends, values, and merits of the ancient Greeks. Greek culture is known to be one of the most flavored and thorough in history, and each facet of it—from religion to ideology to mentalities and beliefs.

In Homer’s, The Odyssey, Greek hospitality is demonstrated in the sections of the Cyclops. Expectations in Greek hospitality include, not only being graciously welcomed into the home of another, but also feasts, entertainment, shelter at times and bearings for their journey from which they came. Not only is this portrayed in the scenes with the Cyclops, but also in the beginning of the epic, where Telemachus warmly welcomes the suitors and goddess Athena into the home of Odysseus and his family. Ancient Greeks treated guests equivalent to their own. As common in Ancient Greece, there are consequences for disobeying or not following social conduct and culture. These inferred consequences are likely to include, misfortune, isolation or a curse. The reasons being that because most of Greek culture is derived from the gods, the power is present to determine punishment and the wellness of those who disobey forums. Because the Cyclops shows no signs of hospitality to Odysseus and his men, they have characteristics of being barbaric, brutish in nature and the overall damnation of being

In Homer’s epic poem titled The Odyssey in book 9 Polyphemus handles the concept of Xenia in the manner of carelessness. When Odysseus and his men get caught by Polyphemus in his cave they ask him for shelter and food, the sort of thing that hosts give strangers in order to please Zeus. Polyphemus says that he doesn’t care what Zeus would do to him, “You must be a fiik stranger… telling me to fear the gods or avoid their wrath! We cyclops never blink at Zeus and [his] shield of storm and thunder, or any blessed good we’ve got more force by far.” (9.307-311). With this, Polyphemus then proceeded to trap Odysseus and his men in his cave and with that he ate two of Odysseus’ men, not caring about the wrath of Zeus or what will happen to him for

If you have been through high school, then you have probably read The Odyssey. A blind man named Homer wrote The Odyssey in Ancient Greek times. The book is about a man named Odysseus who has just finished fighting in the Trojan War and needs to return home. He goes through a series of trials on a quest to return to his wife and be the king of Ithaca once again. This book is still important today because it develops complex reading, teaches about ancient Greece, and teaches virtues and values.

Ancient Greece was thousands of years ago, people can not relive it, but literature from the era help people see and understand the culture and lives of ancient Greeks. Many written tales and myths had to do with ancient Greek culture and society, aspects of ancient Greece are shown in The Odyssey. The Odyssey is a work of fiction written by Homer, the epic poem focuses on the great hero Odysseus’s voyage back home to his land of Ithaca. Odysseus goes through many obstacles trying to get home after the Trojan war, he fights monsters, goes to foreign lands, and gets treasure and gold on his way home. Though it is a work of fiction, The Odyssey story and characters are affected by ancient Greek culture and life, this is shown in their inclusion

Homer was a great poet whether he wrote this or not is questionable, but whoever did write it was a great poet. Now-a-days we know who wrote almost everything, so since we don’t know who wrote this it is a rather confusing and frustrating for people trying to figure out who wrote it. Both of his books The Iliad and The Odyssey are great books about this time period that describe things that we want to know. It also shows things we may not have previously known about the time period. Homer is an interesting man who composed The Iliad and The Odyssey we find out about his life, this also raise the question that is referred to as the “Homeric

Along with the extraordinary writers, they had extraordinary pieces. One of the most famous ancient writers Homer has written some of the best epics till this day. One of his best was The Odyssey, and epic by Homer. The story is about a hero, Odysseus, and his journey home from the Trojan War. Another very well constructed piece had been The Iliad, this story was about the events that taken place in the Trojan War, it also goes into detail about the Trojan Horse, the horse had been made out of wood and had been a fake peace offering, but instead was filled with warrior, they soon attack and started war. Ancient Greek literature plays a huge part in our world today. Without it our world would be changed completely.

The ancient Greeks and Romans contributed to western civilization in many different forms of literature and architecture. Both of these cultures produced a variety of literary works which are still studied today. One of the biggest contributions to literature was from the author known as Homer. Homer was known for two of ancient Greece’s most epic poems, The lliad and The Odyssey. Both of these poems have had a profound impact on western literature and continue to influence teachers and authors today. “The lliad and The Odyssey have provided not only seeds but fertilizer for almost all the other arts and sciences in

The role of hospitality is seen in many examples throughout the Odyssey. However, it is not always the same in every example that Odysseus encounters. When Odysseus comes across the Cyclops Polyphemus, the hospitality he receives is totally outside the norm of civilization, which is what he is used to. Instead, because of his ego, Odysseus receives a barbaric welcome instead of the hospitable welcome that he is accustomed to.