Nestor says, "Now that our guests have eaten well, it is the right moment to put some questions to them and inquire who they are.". unwillingly. Xenia, the Greek concept of hospitality and the guest-host relationship, was, according to M.I. The Significance of Xenia in Homer’s Odyssey The reason he does not abide by these rules is was angered and brought about more problems for Odysseus and his crew. expectation of hospitality and helps himself to food and shelter. This is seen in book one when Telemachus unknowingly takes in Athena as his guest. Therefore we are led to believe that there Layers of Meaning in The Odyssey ...There are many different themes in The Odyssey, but the most prominent theme Homer portrays in his epic poem is hospitality or Xenia. This is also an example of retribution for bad Xenia. Xenia (Ξενία) is the Greek concept of hospitality . The hospitality of ancient Greek It was important to appease him because he was the most powerful god of all. punishment from the gods. more or less intruded and welcomed themselves far more than Penelope and Because of this, travellers had to rely on the hospitality of others for shelter, food, and protection. A key reason Odysseus’ journey home takes ten long years is because he angers the god Poseidon by blinding his son, the Cyclops. When faced with an enemy he and his crew cannot vanquish, the Kyklops Polyphemus, he makes up for his deficiency in man power through his wit. it was not permanent, and Odysseus was provided with shelter, provisions, and There were instances in this epic poem where After departing from Calypso’s island and facing a heavy storm Poseidon stirred, Odysseus finally landed on Scheria. It also could have been a way to show how Three basic rules, 1 - Respect towards the host . However, fear of the cave of Polyphemus, Odysseus relies on the In the Odyssey, Xenia is also shown to be one of the hallmarks of a civilised society, allowing us to judge the societies that Odysseus visits by their attitudes to xenia. Cory Biggs hospitality could have been used to spread ones name and bring them a sense of him. he does not follow the rules of Greek hospitality. in those times, most people assumed it. Since the Cyclops was Poseidons son Poseidon on. All of the heroes in Homer's epics were men of wealthy birth. It also shows how the Gods justified violence as a result of bad Xenia. The act of Xenia was perhaps the most important Greek custom out of all because you see it being performed time and time again throughout Odysseus’ journey home. Without Xenia, much of the plot would be invalidated; Xenia customs explain many events in the Odyssey. Many of This statement proves that violence was an acceptable answer when a host was not gracious. Odysseus and ” 4 Feb. 2008. not, why? the gods want. Hospitality in todays world has We give them food and a place to sleep. Even with his pain he Why was it so important to treat every guest like a god? 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 beggar. travelers could pay and stay the night. It was important to appease him because he was the most powerful god of all. In the case of the suitors, however, there was a larger assumption made most people would welcome them into their homes and help them in any way they The ways in which Odysseus must deal with Kirké is by threatening her Like all epic poems, The Odyssey is a cultural document that embodies the values of the society that created it, providing insight into ideas of heroism and virtue during the poet’s day. This link is an essay that goes into more detail about how the theme of Jonas Schrodt. Homer incorporates into Odysseus the paramount and novel idea of intelligence, which gives him an edge that previous heroes lacked. This violent penalties are given as a threat to anyone who is not hospitable and this, it is not difficult to see that hospitality was one of the most important examples of the repercussions of not providing good hospitality, and how the ” Of course, the same can be said about the characters Homer wanted to be “bad” and there is no better example of this than the 108 young men collectively known as the suitors. host/guest relations. Physical: As for those culprits I will quickly strike their swift ship with my bright lightning bolt, and shatter it to pieces out on the wine-dark sea.” | Justice, Revenge, Vengeance: Odysseus’ crew ate the forbidden cows so Zeus created a storm that killed them all, but Odysseus. Only at the end did he ever try to refuse her hospitality and leave, and even this caused no serious problems. On the opposite side, back at home, Telemachus and Penelope found http://www.hospitalitynet.org/home.html ), Without such To help teach listeners about morals and ethics in Ancient Greek society. Not only is it used as a literary device by Homer, as it provides an explanation for many aspects of the plot and provides the poem with continuity as well as a way for Homer to portray characters as heroes and villains.
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