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Odyssey: Xenia “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. The story is based around Odysseus’s journey around an unknown world. He develops the most guest-host relationships in the story based on the fact that on many occasions he must ask strangers for provisions in order for his journey to continue. “A grave housekeeper brought in the bread and served it to him adding many good things to it, generous with her provisions.”(Homer, Book 7) These provisions were needed in order for his journey home to continue. The housekeeper presented it in the act...
Understanding a story requires more than just reading words and matching them with a general definition. One needs the ability to comprehend the themes by carefully reading between the lines. The concept of xenia is displayed numerous times throughout The Odyssey. Xenia is a type of hospitality that many of the Greeks found necessary to abide by. As Carly said in her description of xenia, it "describes guest-friendship as a sort of custom of the home." In order to fully grasp the idea of the book, one must understand this Greek hospitality and the significance it served to many Greeks during this era. If there were an absence of xenia, The Odyssey would not have any cultural depth to it; instead, it would be a book solely about a war hero who experiences few obstacles on his way home. The main characters of The Odyssey followed the unwritten code of xenos, even if it was not self-beneficiary. Them being
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.
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 from the conviction that the gods would punish the host if guests were treated without respect (whether they were poor or rich) further compelled excellent manners. The Odyssey illustrates the proper etiquette when dealing with guests.
In the times that The Odyssey was first composed, xenia seemed to be a very important concept and way of life for the ancient Greeks. Xenia was an ancient Greek tradition of hospitality which consisted of a host-guest ritual, which followed a series of steps and a permanent, unplanned agreement of friendship between strangers. In the first four books of the The Odyssey, or the Telemachy, xenia is seen to affect how people interact with one another in every situation where people greet one another. Though xenia is sacred and understood to be one of Zeus’s laws, there are still cases where it is broken, however this does not go unnoticed by the gods. Xenia also has a large impact on the maturation of Telemachus. In the Telemachy the concept of xenia is a central theme greatly influencing Telemachus and many, but not all, of his activities.
One of the most prominent reoccurring themes in The Odyssey is the concept of xenia, in other words, the Greek tradition of showing hospitality to those who are far away from home, or even strangers, since he or she can easily be a god in disguise. In The Odyssey xenia is often the force that seals the fate of specific characters. It is used as a way to show the fear (or lack of fear) of the gods in the characters’ hearts. It is also often tied into the idea of temptation, by showing whether or not a character’s intentions are pure.
The Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou? both contain Homer’s initial implication of the common hospitality throughout ancient Greece. In the movie, one example of this being portrayed is nearing when Ulysses, Pete, and Delmar escape from prison. The men travel to Wash Hogwallop, Pete’s cousin, house to seek refuge. Wash welcomes them into his home immediately, thus showing Homer’s theme of hospitality. He gives them stew and proceeds to talk to Pete about other family members inside his home. One could say that Joel and Ethan Coen, the directors of the movie, purposely incorporate this scene for several reasons, but the main one is to reveal and incorporate the message from The Odyssey. By having Wash so readily take in his cousin, and his cousin’s friends, the two directors wave a red flag, drawing the viewers attention to this theme. This also shows how hospitable King Alcinous was towards Odysseus. Another example of hospitality throughout the movie is found through...
In the Odyssey the people of Ithaca are accustomed to hospitality. In Odysseus’s lengthy journey home he learns to maintain modesty. Odysseus’s family never give up on him throughout his entire 20 year journey, and they kept Ithaca for him when he came back. The Greek values of hospitality, humility, and loyalty are conveyed in The Odyssey.
Ancient Greece is known for its beautiful theaters and its skilled poets. One of the most famous ones at that time and famous even now is Homer. Nobody knows who he actually is but the works that he has created are far more than magnificent. The Odyssey and The Iliad are two poems that turned into myths, have actually been accepted as part of the history of the Greeks. The Odyssey is a story about a hero from the Trojan War who struggles to get home to his family and when he finally does he faces the suitors who he fights and defeats with the help of the gods and his son who he hasn't seen for around twenty years. The gradual development of the plot, the actual, end of the book is easily noticed. A big role in that development plays hospitality or as Homer calls it the xenia. Odysseus' journey on his way back to his island Ithaca contains numerous details about hospitality and what it is to be a good or a bad host. His voyage is based on the kindness and the warmth of the people. There are gods and humans, and giants that do not appreciate the hero but he deals with them and we meet with the actual plot of the story, his homecoming.
In a modern world such as ours, it is sometimes difficult to understand special customs that were most highly respected in ancient cultures. However, some have been able to adapt with the times and transform into decorum that can be still valued today. Xenia can be a perfect example. Coming from the ancient Greeks, xenia was the religious and civic commitment of hospitality that was expected of all guests of people as well as from the hosts themselves. The ancient Greeks held xenia in the highest regard and believed in great consequences if the rules of xenia were abused in any way. Xenia, to them, was much more than guidelines for them to follow; it was a duty that required utmost regard.
These long travels that the heroic characters in the Odyssey are submitted are, therefore, direct consequences of the their interaction to the unknown world that they come to meet. The hospitality episodes are an essential part of the narrative as it is through them that their journey is lengthen. They are also an indicator of the characters’s integrity and through their analysis, they initiate an important reflexion on greek culture and values in social interactions, one of the aspects that are most distinct between the ancient world and the contemporaneity.
In the book The Odyssey, xenia is considered sacred. If one was to show xenia in a negative way they would later be punished for it and if someone was to show xenia in a positive way they would be rewarded for it. Yet if xenia was both good and bad, how would that affect the outcome? In the story “The Grace of the Witch”, the great and beautiful Goddess Kirke shows good xenia by giving her guests a warm welcome with rich wine, extravagant feast, and tall thrones to sit upon and feel magnificent, but does it all count if she drugged them to stay? The toss between good and bad xenia is questioned when Kirke shows Odysseus and his men good hospitality but it is also threatened when they are forced to stay or must leave and head to the homes of
Homer’s Iliad is ripe with a variety of social structures. The passage where Diomedes meets Glaucus in battle shows the reader how a variety of these structures interact, and how the Argives value them in relation to each other. There are times when the characters fight for glory, there are times when they strive to earn riches, but above all else, they respect xenia. Xenia is the ancient Greek concept of hospitality, and it is evoked any time a guest visits a host. The Achaeans respect it above all else, and failure to adhere to its strict customs could lead to the forfeiture of countless souls. By the end of the story, xenia has overpowered money, battle, and glory, cementing its place as the most powerful force in all of Homer’s Ancient
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.
When it comes to hospitality, Greeks stand atop the list of all cultures for their generosity and politeness towards strangers. “Philoxenia” is the Greek word for “the love of strangers”. Philoxenia is demonstrated in several different cases in Homer’s The Odyssey. According to Greek customs, hospitality is respected by the immortal gods. If the Greek code of hospitality is not performed correctly, or not performed at all, the consequences may be very severe, gods may unleash their wrath to whoever does not follow this tradition of thoughtfulness. Homer suggests both positive and negative commentary on his own world through the examples of hospitalities that provide The Odyssey.
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.