Every story has a hero who demonstrates moral fiber, physical strength, and mental prowess to the fullest. This hero is often viewed as a perfect soul, incapable of making mistakes or committing an injustice toward another. Because the reader develops a strong sense of admiration for their hero, it is shocking when the storyteller reminds his audience that their champion is only human, and, like every human being, has a tragic character flaw. In the Odyssey, Odysseus’ flaw is commonly thought of as his unrelenting slaughter of the suitors in his house. When he finally returns home to Ithaca after years of hardship to find the wicked suitors in his household, he strings his bow and executes every one of them, despite their plea for mercy and their offer to repay everything they take and more. Although many view Odysseus’ rage as a departure from heroism, his actions are justified because the intruders in his household violate xenia, a custom that the Ancient Greeks hold in high esteem.
The Ancient Greeks believe in numerous concepts that the honorable man must live by, one of which is xenia. Xenia is the relationship between guest and host. The guest-host relationship is so significant to the Ancient Greek culture that Zeus, the king of gods, is its patron. In xenia, the host must always accept a stranger into his household if he needs a place to stay. After inviting the guest into his house, the host is obligated to offer the guest food and drink, as well as any other luxuries he might require. It is considered poor manners for the host to question his guest before he is provided for. But the responsibility does not only rest on the host; the guest must also honor xenia. The guest is obligated to respect the host...
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... suitors. Many misinterpret his heroism as injustice simply because it is a departure from the Greek heroism that the readers are used to seeing. Throughout his travels and his courageous efforts at Troy, Odysseus demonstrates traditional heroism while in pursuit of glory. When he slaughters the suitors, his actions are heroic because they are in accordance with the will of the gods. He enforces the will of Zeus, patron of xenia, when he sends the suitors to the realm of Hades for dishonoring what Zeus deems significant. Odysseus’ actions are not considered immoral because the gods are behind him. Anyone who disregards xenia incurs the wrath of Zeus, and the suitors are made to pay for their actions. The suitors begin to dig their own graves the moment they violate xenia and the will of Zeus.
The Odyssey, one of Homer’s Greatest works, presents an ancient Greek society where righteous conducts of hospitality, or “xenia”, are strongly pursued. Various forms of hospitality, generous or callous, depict how civilized the person is. This concept of treating strangers with warmth was taken so seriously because they traveled frequently away from home and needed assistance along their journey to stay alive. Punishments for those who break the unwritten laws of this tradition are to be expected, as well as rewards for those who abide. Homer exaggerates the role of hospitality throughout the epic since it was one of the major customs that the Greeks depended upon to survive.
All throughout The Odyssey there are scenes of good and bad xenia, or hospitality. It can be seen that hospitality is extremely important in the Greek culture, both how someone treats their guests and how the guests treat the host. A closer look chronologically into the good, then bad examples will show how one acts affects the actions that are brought upon them when they either follow or disobey Zeus' Law.
The Odyssey is a tale that has changed literature and storytelling. In this tale Odysseus is a Soldier from the battle of Troy trying to get home to his island of Ithaca, where he is king. His wife and son must wait ten years while he is trying to make his way home. In Odysseus’s absence wooer’s, or better known as suitors, learn of his absence and travel to Ithaca to win his wife’s hand in marriage. These men come every day feasting on Odysseus’s food and wine, and give his servant’s orders. His son Telemachus, does his best to keep the suitors from ruining his fathers house but he is only a boy, and doesn’t receive the respect of an adult. Telemachus then has a visit from the god Athena, whom Odysseus is friends with, who advises him to travel to find out about his father. In his travels he hears that Odysseus may still be alive. Meanwhile Odysseus goes through a series of adventures and hardships that prove his wisdom. It is interesting in contrast of the Iliad, even though Achilles was much stronger and a better warrior, Odysseus was portrayed as a greater hero due to his wisdom. He uses this wisdom to escape from the Cyclops.
The guest host relationship is discovered in a number of places throughout The Odyssey. The interactions Telemachus and Odysseus have with their hosts help use to understand what xenia is and what we should expect. Each occurrence shares elements of hospitality in common. They had in common things such as the ability to have a bath, the feast, the question of who the guest is, a gift for the guest and the assurance of transportation and protection. Gift giving and respect in Homeric society allows for peace between neighboring city-states of Ancient Greece. If you show respect to a traveler when you or if you ever have to go to their home you would expect the same treatment you had once given them.
When most people think of a hero, they think of a tall, handsome, and intelligent being that could do nothing wrong. But in real life, and in The Odyssey, not all heroes are like that. Odysseus is disrespectful and very rude sometimes. Odysseus should not be considered as a hero at all because of the very poor decisions he had made.
The custom of xenia was seen as a measure of who was civilized, as well as being a significant part of the religious aspect of the Greek’s lives. The Greeks believed that Zeus was the patron God of hospitality and honouring a guest was the same as honouring Zeus. They believed that failing to honour a guest would bring the wrath of the gods upon them. By portraying good xenia, many people were able to spread the fame of their house and improved their own statuses. Xenia is evident in many different incidents throughout The Odyssey. Most of the first half of the epic portrays Telemachus and Odysseus being welcomed as guests in a foreign land. As each interaction develops, they each share common features of hospitality. These features include the bath, the feast, the question of who the guest is, the guest-gift, and the promise of transport and protection. However, throughout T...
Odysseus is one of the very many prominent characters in Homer’s Epic poems, The Illiad, and The Odyssey. Odysseus has been famed one of the more relatable characters from Homer’s writing, as well as one of the Greatest Greek Mythology Heroes. Homer’s Epic poems highlight many periods of shame and honor for Odysseus. The character analysis of Odysseus through the poem’s timeline shows vast developments and heroic features appear to take form in him. The Illiad portrayed Odysseus as more of a secondary figure behind Agamemnon and Achilles. In contrast, The Odyssey portrayed Odysseus as a hero in the form of an average human.
A hero is someone who would sacrifice himself for others, someone who is selfless and caring. Odysseus from Homer’s, “The Odyssey” does not have these traits. Throughout the book, Odysseus displays many negative character traits that show he is not someone to be admired or treated like a hero. He is too proud, he does not listen, and he constantly puts his needs before that of his men.
Odysseus portrays himself as anything but a hero throughout Homer’s The Odyssey. Odysseus goes through his life believing he is the best. He has no regard for anyone’s feelings but his own, and he believes nothing and no one can harm him, not even the gods. Odysseus feels he is always the leader and no one can tell him otherwise. Odysseus should not be considered a hero because he portrays himself as a selfish man that failed his crew, and is controlled by his hubris.
The main character of the Odyssey, Odysseus the King of Ithaca is given a complex personality to an extent where it is hard to identify whether he is a true hero or not. True heroism is only achieved when a person achieves certain qualities that portray heroism. Odysseus is not a hero based on the standards of merciful, selfless, and gentle because of his actions of sacrificing his men, killing the suitors and being ruthless throughout the Odyssey. Along with many others qualities these three are helpful and necessary in a hero. A hero must be willing to do service for others and put the needs of others safety and protection before his own. Odysseus does not even come close to matching these qualities because he is a person, who only serves of himself, and he sacrifices his allies to achieve his goals and often he takes action ruthlessly.
Xenia, at the ancient Greeks society, simply means hospitality: the standard practice of the host and the guest from various locales. Examples from providing food and drink, through offering bath and gift, and to protect and escort guests to their destination are extremely common and what seemed appropriate to expects from the host. Basic rules of xenia include how host should respect guest by not asking questions about one before one finish dining, and how guest should respect host by offering gift and to not to be a burden. Through out Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, hospitality plays a major and constant theme where it at least appeared in 12 different occasions. At Homeric times due to limitation on transportation, people can only travel by vessel or by foot, which were much slower than current sorts of transportation and made the journey back then much longer and more challenging. Additionally, there were
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.
There are numerous heroes throughout “The Odyssey,” but none of them are as significant as Odysseus. “The Odyssey” is a narrative poem written by Homer (around 800 and 600 BCE) to show the numerous adventures and experiences Odysseus goes through. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus a prominent Greek epic hero is on a quest to return back to his home in Ithaca; to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Just like real life, not all heroes are picture-perfect; they all have imperfections. In this case, Odysseus is sometimes insolent, and discourteous; but he is still considered an epic hero because of the many heroic qualities he endures. Odysseus proves himself to be an outstanding hero in various ways such as showing loyalty, intelligence, bravery, strength, and courage which are all some of the most momentous qualities found in a hero. If a true hero can prove they are a true hero, makes them a true hero.
Homer’s literature served as a moral messenger to the people of ancient Greece. The Odyssey by Homer demonstrates the character development of Odysseus, the epic hero, and his journey of self-discovery. Odysseus was a great, wise, noble, and well respected war hero to his people. Odysseus had one tragic flaw that was demonstrated by his actions throughout the book. The author Homer continued to strip Odysseus of his arrogance throughout the story, by throwing challenges his way, making him pay for his mistakes, and allowing him to continue to overcome obstacles. The main purpose of Odysseus journey also to reach his home a more humble man. Reading Odysseus’ journey also served as a way to look at morals. The
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.