Hospitality in the Odyssey
Hospitality in Homer's Odyssey is a central theme of the epic poem. Throughout the story, we are given scenarios in which hospitality, both on the part of the guest and the host, plays a key role in the events that transpire immediately afterward. This tradition, evident in Greek mythology and custom, serves many purposes as the epic unravels. Through exploration of these scenes, we will discover things about Greek customs, character differences, and the role of the gods in determining how future events will be played out. That is, a good or bad act of hospitality can oftentimes alter the outcome of events in a good or bad way. In comparing and contrasting different instances of hospitality throughout The Odyssey, the significance of this theme will be better understood. It is important to understand that hospitality in The Odyssey is much different than any modern definition or custom we have today. Today, hospitality is thought of as entertaining friends and hosting parties. This is quite the contrary to the ancient Greek view of the same subject. To them, hospitality meant offering all you had if only to feed and house a complete stranger. The hosts sincerely believed that "it is wrong to...send any stranger
...he clutched at my companions and caught ideal good host or good guest; there are just different degrees of each. For instance, when the Phaiakians show Odysseus generous hospitality in accordance with Greek custom, the gods punish them for helping someone they are "toying" with. The Phaiakians do not know the gods intentions for Odysseus' homecoming. They are simply showing the good hospitality that Greek tradition requires. Interestingly enough, it is their act of good hospitality that gets their ship turned to stone. gifts. Afterwards, Telemachus leaves to visit King Menelaos, and again he is greeted beat their brains out, spattering on the floor. the night cave? You never linger so, but graze As is the tradition in Ancient Greece, a good host offers food, gifts, shelter, and protection to all those in need of help. Whether it be a prince in distress, or a lowly beggar looking for a place to stay, the people of ancient Greece realized the importance of extending a helping hand to all those in need. Examples of the good host are shown throughout The Odyssey. A very prevalent example of good hospitality occurs in the aptly titled Book XIV, "Hospitality in the Forest." Here, we see the swineherd Eumaios as the definition of the good host. Homer goes to great lengths here to stress the theme through a dialogue between Eumaios and the disguised Odysseus.
Some common words found in the essay are:
IX Odysseus, Homer's Odyssey, Zeus XIV, Phaiakians Odysseus, Ancient Greece, Hospitality Forest, King Menelaos, Eumaios Odysseus, Greece Eumaios, King Nestor, food gifts, act hospitality, ancient greece, greek custom, throughout odyssey, people ancient greece, zeus xiv, host guest, theme hospitality, gifts shelter, food gifts shelter, bad host,
Approximate Word count = 1270
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
