In this day and age, helping a stranger from their troubles without knowing anything about that person is a risk many people do not take. And for people who do show hospitality to strangers, their actions are little more than being friendly to the guest. However, in Homer’s time period, giving stranger’s hospitality was something most Greeks did. In ancient Greece, there were set hospitality laws where both guests and hosts had obligations. Therefore, in Homer’s Odyssey, one of the major themes of this epic was hospitality and the guest-host relationship. Robert Fagles, translator of the Odyssey, and Bernard Knox, introduction and notes writer, wrote in the introduction, “If there is one stable moral criterion in the world of the Odyssey, it …show more content…
If the Odyssey was an accurate description of ancient Greece during that time period, then the people of ancient Greece may have followed these laws for reasons other than creating bonds between families such as the fear of Zeus’ wrath. And Greek citizens were not the only people who followed these laws. Gods and goddesses obeyed these laws too because of Zeus’ power over other gods. In Book Five of the Odyssey, we see Calypso, the host, following the hospitality laws and treating Hermes, the guest, properly by feeding and giving him alcohol. The guest-host relationship shaped ancient Greece’s culture during this time period. Therefore Homer’s epic is filled with examples of guest-host relationships: some good while others turned poorly. Throughout Odysseus’ journey, creating guest-host relationships was a crucial element in his quest back home and he proves in being an honorable guest through his actions, words, and respect given to the …show more content…
However, the Cyclops’ did not respond as Odysseus believed he would. Instead, Polyphemus mocked the suggestion of hospitality and went further by saying he did not fear Zeus and his wrath. After saying that, Polyphemus grabbed two of Odysseus’ men, ate them, and slept. This interaction between Polyphemus and Odysseus is an example of a terrible guest-host relationship. In this example, Odysseus acts exactly how a guest should act. However, Polyphemus did not perform his duty in being a proper host. Not only did he scoff at Odysseus’ suggestion of hospitality but he even mocked the god of hospitality. Also, instead of feeding his guests, the Cyclops fed himself by eating his own guests. After Polyphemus woke up, Odysseus told him his name was Nobody and asked the Cyclops for a guest-gift. Naturally, Polyphemus did not give Odysseus a gift and instead yelled back, “‘Nobody? I’ll eat Nobody last of all his friends—I’ll eat the others first! That’s my gift to you!’” (O., IX, 413-14). Once again, while Odysseus upholds his duty as an honorable guest by expecting a guest-gift from his host, Polyphemus refuses in giving Odysseus a gift and makes a mockery of the entire guest-host
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...
Homer’s Odyssey has been a well-known story that has been passed down for generations. The story that Homer is telling conveys some valuable historical information representative of the ancient Greeks of his time. One such thread that can be traced throughout the ancient Greek world is on the subject of human conduct. The best way to examine the human conduct portrayed in the Odyssey, one must examine the characteristics of the individual. As such, two examples of the good and bad role models of human conduct can be seen in Odysseus and Telemachus.
Next, Polyphemus demonstrates hubris by believing that because he is a giant, he is unbeatable by anyone, even a god. This is shown when Odysseus meets Polyphemus and greets him with gifts, as it is a custom to show courtesy to hosts and guests alike, (unexpected or not). Failure to give gifts can lead to revenge from the gods. Odysseus tells Polyphemus this, but Polyphemus “would not let you go for fear of Zeus” because the Cyclopes “have more force by far ”. (205; 200) Polyphemus then angers the gods further by kidnapping and eating Odysseus’ men, both of which are considered extremely uncivil in Greek society. Polyphemus is so confident in his invulnerability he lets the men roam free inside the cave, a mistake that leads to his downfall.
Odysseus’ attempt to make himself feel at home in Polyphemos’ cave turns out to be disastrous. Homer emphasizes from this situation Odysseus’ lack of caution and judgment as Odysseus’ crew had already advised him to leave the cave. In consuming Polyphemos’ livestock and cheese, Odysseus demonstrates a high level of comfort with Polyphemos which is in reality not evident for the two individuals who meet for the first time. As a result, Odysseus and his crew portray themselves as intruders rather than visitors.
In Homer’s The Odyssey there is another mention of Zeus, the god of hospitality and when Odysseus reaches the cave of the Cyclopes, he tells Polyphemus, “Zeus protects all suppliants and strangers—as god of guests, he cares for all respected visitors “(Bauschatz, 31). The Cyclopes reply expresses that he can care less about the Gods because he believes the Cyclopes hold more power. Towards the end, Polyphemus prays to Poseidon and he throws in Odysseus way but this demonstrates how much interaction the Gods have with the
Polythemus was slightly in the wrong when it comes to the basic rules of being a host, he was supposed to be welcoming to any wanderer but instead he ate three of them “I will eat nobody last of all his friends” (Homer). Despite the fact that odyssey and his troops barged into a cave and ate all of the cyclops food, the unwritten law of hospitality still stands strong in that era. And by not only eating his unexpected guest he broke that rule, therefore becoming a bad host. Regardless of the fact he still gave odyssey a “gift” Polythemus gift was to eat him last “I will eat nobody last of all his friends, I will eat the others first that is my gift to you “(Homer).You can see how this can reflect badly on both the guest and the host but for the most, part the host is at shame for his actions and
“I often gave to vagabonds, whoever they might be, who came in need.” (Homer, 351) Hospitality was evident in Homer’s time period and eventually was seen as an institution in the Greek culture. A guest-host relationship, known as Xenia, takes place throughout The Odyssey whether it’s to gain relationships or to avoid punishments from the gods. It is a major theme and is apparent in every book of The Odyssey. Hospitable characters who use xenia are what keep this novel going. Xenia affects the plot in many ways and influences characters actions and choices throughout the novel.
In The Odyssey, a Greek hero, Odysseus, journeys back home after the Trojan War. Throughout this long voyage, Odysseus meets many people who take him in out of their own courtesy and hospitality. Within this text, the re-occurring theme of hospitality has had much significance and has also made a presence in today’s society. Xenia was common in the Greek culture; however, changes throughout society have made this form of hospitality a smaller occurrence today. Xenia, or the concept of hospitality, is the main theme present in the Odyssey.
Hospitality or Xenia (Greek for guest-friendship) is a prevalent theme used throughout the Odyssey and helps the readers understand more about Greek culture in the Bronze Age. However in that time it was more like Philoxenia (Extending hospitality to one far from his home). Homer used hospitality to define his characters and shows how it affects them. He introduces their cunning personality traits and ignorance through hospitality. He demonstrates how it affects the gods, and odysseus’s journey, and uses literary elements to do so.
Polyphemus (the cyclops) proves that bad hospitality leads to bad karma. Polyphemus and his fellow cyclops’s have no councils, no laws, and no traditions of hospitality or civility . Odysseus persists on staying at the cyclops’s island to try the hospitality of the owner, which resulted in the death of several of his men. Odysseus narrates, “To this he gave me but a pitiless answer, ‘Stranger,’ said he, ‘you are a fool, or else you know nothing of this country. Talk to me, indeed, about fearing the gods or shunning their anger? We Cyclopes do not care about Jove or any of your blessed gods, for we are ever so much stronger than they…'”. (9.272-275) The Cyclops’s are another example of ill-treatment of guests, a son of Poseidon and almost as powerful as the gods, Polyphemus scoffs at the concept of hospitality and welcomes his guests by devouring two for dinner. Polyphemus’s treatment of his guests quickly showed that he was an inconsiderate character with low moral standards. Ultimately, how a host treats their guest will determine their well being aswell. If you welcome someone kindly into your home, the guest, in most cases will respect you as well. A friendly guest-host relationship was the key to non-quarrelsome associations in The Odyssey. Since the Cyclops was a heinous host in The Odyssey it was inevitable for him to receive bad fortune for it. When Polyphemus decided to eat,
Hospitality as a theme in any literary work may not seem that it is important. However, in two pieces of work it becomes important to the telling of the story. The Odyssey is a classical Epic poem of Greek literature, written by Homer in 8th century B.C and translated by Robert Fagles. The Bible books Genesis and Exodus are collections of writings that were written down a very long time ago. Although there is one main story of the Bible, there are many translations, the New King James version which will be a source that I refer to later on. The characters in the Odyssey and the Bible show hospitality through food, banquet, welcoming in strangers and being humble in similar ways. …….Hospitality through the welcoming of strangers in The Odyssey and in both books of The Bible plays the most important role. There are certain rules of hospitality that are needed, you must invite a stranger into your home, do not ask them their name before they have sat and dined at your table, and sometimes you would be able to give gift offerings. If these rules of hospitality are not carried out, the consequences are very severe. Hospitality is to be given to all by all no matter . Being a good host is very important. It is a sign of respect for all no matter where they are from or how poor they appear to be. This rule of hospitality would mean that as soon as you see a stranger, you invite them into your home to sit at your table just as King Nestor in The Odyssey did “As soon as they saw the strangers, all came crowding down, waving them on in welcome, urging them to sit” (Homer, trans.1996, p.38). King Nestor did not hesitate to...
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.
In the 9th book of The Odyssey by Greek Writer Homer, you meet the great and terrible cyclops, Polyphemus. Between the interactions of Odysseus and Polyphemus you can see some of the ways both characters break the rules of hospitality. Both characters act in ways that would be frowned upon today, as well as, back in the time of the Greeks.
Hospitality in the greek is Xenia which was the guest to host friendship and obligations of the host and guest. The giving of gifts was usually done between guests and hosts. They really strived for a symbiotic give and take relationship in which the host does most of the leg work but a honorable and good guest would give so gift or reward in return. The only time when the host could really reject or throw out a guest was when a guest violated xenia terribly to the point where Zeus would give the order to seek justice for an act of such magnitude. For example when Paris is a guest in the King of Sparta Menelaus’ house as a guest and then steals his beautiful daughter from him and runs away. The theft of a princess is a major offense and would definitely deserve some repercussions it says many times in the Iliad of how the gods disapprove of this act.
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.