The Importance of Hospitality in the Odyssey - 523 Words

In The Odyssey, Homer uses fear of the gods to portray the idea of Xenia, which means hospitality to all, to live a normal and happy life. On multiple occasions people ignore this idea and in result get a streak of bad luck. For example, the suitors that stay in Odysseus house are terrible guests. They get brutally murdered by Odysseus. Polyphemus eats several of Odysseus crew mates. Polyphemus gets blinded by Odysseus. Aegisthus does certain unstated acts with Agamemnons wife, then kills Agamemnon. Agamemnons son, Orestes, kills Aegisthus. Xenia is very important to the day-to-day life of the characters in The Odyssey. The main failure to be a hospitable guest in The Odyssey is that the suitors who believe Odysseus is dead and are waiting to marry his wife, Penelope. The suitors simply cannot stop being terrible guests, spending Os money and â€Å"feasting themselves sick, swilling our glowing wine† (2.61). The suitors are terrible guests, and have no care whatsoever as to th e fact that they are being extremely rude to the gods by being bad guests, and being rude to Odysseus, destroying his house and spending his money. Since the suitors are being such terrible guests, there has to be a consequence. Once Odysseus returns from his travels and becomes re-acquainted with his son Telemachus, they decide that it is time to put an end to the reign of the suitors. Odysseus is shooting arrows through the holes of axes when he â€Å"aimed and shot Antinuous square in the throat†Show MoreRelatedThe Importance of Hospitality Illustrated in Homers Odyssey Essay1708 Words   |  7 Pagesportrayed in The Odyssey, by Homer, where hospitality and good will are the way of things. As decreed by Zeus himself, those who wish the favor of the Gods must welcome foreign and domestic with hospitality. A man was supposed to offer the best of his food, his home, and his knowledge before ever asking for his guest’s name or why he was there. There is a sense that th ose of high status are the main givers of hospitality, but they are not the only ones commanded to offer hospitality. Homer emphasizesRead MoreThe Odyssey1243 Words   |  5 PagesThe Odyssey In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, 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 that if they didn’t treat their guests with respect the gods would punish them further compelled excellent manners. The OdysseyRead MoreThe Significance of Xenia in Homer‚Äà ´s The Odyssey1261 Words   |  6 PagesMay 2010 The Significance of Xenia in Homer’s Odyssey The society of Ancient Greece was very much centered around the gods, and a healthy fear of the consequences of not obeying their laws. The next most important staples of the society were the concepts of braver, pride, and hospitality, or Xenia. The significance of these values is shown quite clearly in The Odyssey of Homer. In the first five books of the epic, Telemachos is shown great hospitality by the kings, Nestor, and Menelaos. As HomerRead MoreThe Odyssey Essay1116 Words   |  5 PagesHomer, the author of The Odyssey, portrays many Greek values that make up a righteous man or as, Homer’s character Odysseus, an epic hero. The Odyssey is the story of King Odysseus return from the Trojan War to his kingdom of Ithaca. Stories, like The Odyssey, are told with the intent of delivering a message that was important to their culture. Through characters and situations, The Odyssey promotes and emphasizes many important ancient Greek values such as hospitality, pride, and fate. StressedRead MoreDuality Of Hospitality In Genesis And The Odyssey1441 Words   |  6 PagesThe Duality of Hospitality: In Genesis and the Odyssey In two of the texts considered this Fall—Genesis and the Odyssey, there are many incentives to show hospitality. Hospitality, when extended with the best intentions, speaks to the values of the ancient world as well as of the character of who extend it—usually these gestures are rewarded kindly by the master or divine being of the respective culture, but sometimes they are not. Arguably, hosts in Genesis understand hospitality as an opportunityRead MoreHomer’s Epic The Odyssey Essay645 Words   |  3 PagesA hero isn’t shaped by his strengths but by the values he possesses. Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, reveals the moral and ethical constitution of the ancient Greeks. Over time, certain cultures have grown to value a number of human characteristics. Those who acquire such values become respected heroes. After the fall of Troy, the protagonist of the epic, Odysseus, set sail for his home, Ithaca, where his faithful wife and son were waiting for him. Ov er the course of his journey, Odysseus faced some ofRead MoreEssay Homers Hospitality1386 Words   |  6 Pagesform, in both cultural and religious aspects. Historians often refer to this period as Mycenaean, but due to the culture and values embodied in Homer’s poem, The Odyssey, it is also known as the Homeric Age. In Homer’s world, society consisted of city-states controlled by well-respected Kings. The Homeric Age also focused on the importance of religion where all regions participated in sacrificial tributes to the Gods. Unlike today’s modern society, methods of travel were very limited in the 1600sRead MoreAn Epic Poem The Odyssey 1611 Words   |  7 PagesThe Odyssey, an epic poem written by Greek poet Homer, follows the story of Odysseus, a war hero and king of Ithaca, as he went on a journey to return home from Troy ten years after the Trojan War. On his journey, he was confronted by various monsters, including the one-eyed Cyclops, and faced the loss of his men and his ship. Not to mention, when he returned to his land, he also had to defeat the suitors who had overrun his home and were trying to court his wife, Penelope. Homer not only tells usRead MoreHospitality Is A Recurring Theme Throughout The Odyssey1394 Words   |  6 PagesThe Lack of Hospitality In Polyphemos In The Ancient Greek Culture Hospitality is a recurring theme throughout the Odyssey. Whether it is how Penelope and the people at Ithaca treat their guests, or how Oddyseus and his companions are welcomed in many of the lands they arrive to, hospitality is revealed as a significant feature and value in the Ancient Greek society. In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus, the main character, has different types of encounters throughout his long years of adventure. InRead MoreEssay about Gift-Giving in Beowulf and the Odyssey1707 Words   |  7 PagesGift-Giving in Beowulf and the Odyssey Literature has always been an immensely helpful resource when discerning cultural values in societies past and present. Through the study of noteworthy historic fictional and factual, texts we are able to distinguish parallel characteristics present through many different cultures and time periods. These distinguishing characteristics are one of the main things that help us to determine when and how a society, or world culture as a whole changes as time