Hospitality was very important to the Ancient Greeks and played a major role in Odysseus’ epic journey; both positive and negative for Odysseus. One of the first examples of hospitality is after Odysseus’ raft was destroyed by Poseidon. Odysseus eventually washed up on a beach and was “Found by the daughter of Alcinous, king of the Phaeacians. That evening he is a guest at court.” (895). The Phaeacians still believe in the importance of hospitality and show that when they honor a complete stranger and treat him to a feast; however, there is reason behind this. They want to make sure that he is not a god testing them. The Phaeacians hospitality got Odysseus back on his feet after being shipwrecked, and possibly saved his life, too. Later, when Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, he is treated with honor as a guest again. …show more content…
Odysseus was disguised as a beggar because Athena advised him to do so, and he was treated with utmost respect from the swineherd. The swineherd, like the Phaeacians, fed Odysseus and honored him. The swineherd gave Odysseus a place to stay while he came up with a plan to take his kingdom back, and also reunited him with his son. In the Odyssey, however, there are also times when people did not show hospitality. When Odysseus and his men encountered the cyclops named Polyphemus. Odysseus tells Polyphemus that he should honor them or else the gods will avenge him and his men; however, Polyphemus replies with “Telling me, mind the
This shows that Odysseus’ self-serving nature extends beyond material greed into the equally sinful realm of pride. In a classic display of hubris, Odysseus taunts the Cyclopes fulfilling the sole purpose of stroking Odysseus’s ego. At first it appears that our hero is lacking foresight, but Odysseus tells Polyphemus his name in hopes that tales of his cunning will spread throughout Greece: a very selfish goal, directly resulting in the endangerment of the lives of both him and his men throughout the remainder of their travels.
Odysseus and some of his men went to investigate to see what these Cyclops were like. Unfortunately, they stumbled upon a Cyclops that had no intention of being nice. His name was Polyphemus who was the son of Poseidon. He took Odysseus’s men and ate them every night and would keep Odysseus and his men hostage. Odysseus made a clever escape and blinded the Cyclops. When Odysseus finally made it back on the ship with the remaining men that went along with him, Odysseus got a little too angry and shouted from the ship to Polyphemus and insulted him. Polyphemus prayed to the god, Poseidon and cursed Odysseus. This was on page 77, lines 526-533, book
Throughout the story of The Odyssey, Odysseus is both punished for his pride and rewarded for his ingenuity. When he lingers in the cave of Polyphemus, Odysseus ends up losing six of his men to the cyclops even though he boastfully attests that “He (Polyphemus) thought to tempt me, but he could not cheat a knowing man like me” (85). As a result, when Odysseus reveals his identity as they are sailing away from the island, Polyphemus pleads with his father Poseidon to punish the crew and to “vouchsafe no coming home to this Odysseus, spoiler of cities,…let him come, in evil plight, with loss of all his crew, on vessel of a stranger, and may he at his home find trouble” (89). This curse comes true, as Odysseus is the lone survivor of Poseidon’s storm and meets trouble with the suitors as soon as he returns to Ithaca. However, while Odysseus is punished for his pride, he is able to learn from his mistakes, and is accordingly rewarded for his ingenuity and cunning. By stating that his name is “Noman” and by getting Polyphemus drunk, he and his men are able to escape the cave, and when he disguises himself in Ithaca, he is able to successfully defeat all of the suitors and take back his home and city as
The Greek value of hospitality is exhibited in The Odyssey by Odysseus and Penelope. Odysseus and his hungry men entered an unfamiliar cave, which was home to the Cyclops. Once the Cyclops saw the men he asked why they are there, and in Odysseus's explanation he mentions “It was our luck to come here; here we stand beholden for your help, or any gifts you give-as custom is it to honor strangers” (line 194). Odysseus is tried to convince the cyclops to let him and his men live by using the Greek value of hospitality. He wants the Cyclops to view him as a guest, not food. To Odysseus it was second nature to help out a guest or person in need. While Penelope was speaking to the suitors she noted “Here is a poor man come, a wanderer, driven by want to beg his bread, and everyone in hall gave bits, to cram his bag” (line 1116). She shamed Antinous for not helping the man, because in Ithaca its is accustomed to provide the hungry and poor with food. The fact that Antinous “threw a stool” at Odysseus, and “banged his shoulder” appalled Penelope. The thought of doing such a thing was unheard of to Penelope since hospitality is a part of her way of life along with all other Greeks. The people of Ithaca from The Odyssey a...
Like Jacob, Odysseus connived, manipulated, and deceived. On his journey home from the Trojan War, Odysseus uses his trickster ways to get himself out of trouble. One famous tail was his encounter with the one-eyed Cyclopes Polyphemous. Odysseus and his crew landed on the land of they Cyclopes. They made themselves at home, eating the cheese and goats of the Cyclopes, fully expecting him to be hospitable. Instead, Cyclops began eating then men as though they were animals themselves. Odysseus and his men were trapped in the cave and Polyphemous rolled a stone over the entrance so no one could exit. Odysseus connived a plan and gave the Cyclopes some wine. When he got drunk and passed out, Odysseus poked out the eye of Polyphemous and completely blinds him. Odysseus and his men escape the cave by clinging to the bellies of sheep (Odyssey, Ch. 9). He also disguised himself as a veteran of a Trojan war to Eumaios, a loyal servant, and as a beggar to his wife and son.
Stressed greatly in ancient Greek culture, hospitality is evident throughout Homer’s writing, which reflects and expresses many different value systems within it. For example, when in the cave of the Cyclops, Polyphemus, Odysseus confronts him by saying, “we therefore humbly pray to show us some hospitality and otherwise make us such presents as visitors may reasonably expect” (92). To the Greeks, hospitality was very important, to the point that it was an expectation and not just a quality as it is in today’s culture. If you feared Zeus and the gods, you were to show hospitality. In opposition to this, Odysseus’ request for hospitality is followed by the Cyclops stating, “you are a fool…we Cyclopes do not care about Zeus or any of your blessed gods for we are ever so much stronger than they” (92/93). In accordance to this, the greatest reason for one to show hospitality was because they believe...
On Odysseus's journey he stopped at Cyclops’ Island for supplies and food. Instead of hunting and making supplies our protagonist and his crew steal from Polyphemus and stay in his living space thinking they can get more from him. After a while Polyphemus comes home and starts to get angry at his “visitors” so Odysseus tries to patch things up “here we stand, beholden for your help, or any gifts you give -as a custom is to honor strangers.” In the end they escape with Polyphemus's sheep.
In the poem, Odysseus is trying to get back to his wife and son, Penelope and Telemachus. However, his trip took nearly twenty years as he came into contact with many obstacles on his way. As he travels, the people he encounters are almost always willing to help him. One example of hospitality can be seen through the actions of King Alkinoos, who provided Odysseus with a place to eat and rest. King Alkinoos did this out of pure kindness and did not demand anything from Odysseus except for the story of his long voyage.
In Homeric Greece there is a high value placed on a cultured elegance, and refinement of character. This is illustrated throughout Homer's The Odyssey using the vehicle of the guest/host relationship. The narrative begins with an interaction between Odysseus's son, Telemakhos, and the goddess Athena (disguised as Mentor). From the outset, it is made clear that there is a very specific set of rules for the receiving of guests into one's household. The degree of ceremony with which these actions are carried out is a direct reflection on the character of the host, and a marker of whether or not they are deemed worthy and honorable. When Telemakhos sees the stranger in his household, he is rushes to greet him, "irked with himself to think a visitor has been kept there waiting" (5). This suggests that each moment of the interaction between guest and host must be treated with reverence, as this connection is infinitely important. As the scene progresses, this same idea is carried farther, and the guest made welcome to the
One of the most important Ancient Greek values in The Odyssey was hospitality. Not only did the host have to be hospitable, the guest had to as well. The most basic rule of hospitality is to never turn a guest away and Telemachus exemplifies this value. Telemachus states, “I, for one, I’ll drive no guest away” (Homer 314). Telemachus says this to the suitors despite all of the trouble they’ve caused and the horrible people that they are. This statement sums up the exact meaning behind the guest-host relationship and displays how no matter what the circumstances are, people are required to follow the rules of hospitality. Hospitality was a significant part of the Ancient Greek life. Kalpakgian says, “Hospitality provides for all the essential human needs. The combination of delicious food and drink, convivial conversation and marvelous tales, beautiful music, and dancing, gracious manners and boundless generosity, and fun filled games and contests cheers the heart, uplifts the soul, exhilarates the body, and elevates the mind. Such participation in what Homer calls ‘the sweetness of life’ is the quintessence of civilization” (Kalpakgian 21). When you take on the “host” role in the guest-host
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, for this tradition of hospitality was passed down from generation to generation, and breaking it would bring embarrassment and dishonor upon the home.
Xenia, the ancient Greek concept of hospitality, was one of the foremost forces in Homer’s Iliad. The Achaeans respect it above nearly all else, and failure to adhere to its strict customs could lead to the forfeiture of countless souls.
Altogether, hospitality was an important theme for Odysseus, during his adventure back to Ithica. Hospitality also played an important role for Telemachus, and the search for information about the whereabouts of his father. Without this tradition of Greek hospitality, the sequence of events in The Odyssey could have changed drastically. Not only was this Greek custom of hospitality important in The Odyssey, it was also important to Greek citizens. Just the simple tradition of hospitality, whether positive or negative, can explain much about Greek citizens, and how they treat each other.
Hospitality in the Iliad gives us an insight in ancient greece and was a major characteristic of their culture. In the Iliad there are many instances of the applications of hospitality in the lives of the people back then. We use the Iliad as a tool to look into their culture because this would have been passed down orally for generations as some of the only literature they had. SO their worldviews and values would be apparent in these precious tales.
Hospitality today is nothing like it was in Ancient Greece. Today, good hospitality is being friendly and respectful to a guest. In Ancient Greece, hospitality was something people had to do, or face the wrath of Zeus. 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. The guest, in turn, would not be a burden in any way. In The Odyssey, most people follow the rules of hospitality, but there are others who do not. The Greek concept of xenia shows the serious priority the Greeks place on the laws of the gods.