Hospitality In Odyssey

A detailed Summary of Hospitality In Odyssey


In the heroic culture of Ancient Greece, Zeus was the "king of the gods" and ruled over the "hospitality and the rights of guests and suppliants, the punishment of injustice...and the governance of the universe..." One of several values in the enforced by Zeus was hospitality. The principle of hospitality was so important that it could determine ones fate. In The Odyssey, this idea of hospitality is explored through the acts of Menelaus; more specifically, how it is used to exert moral control over the society.

In Book Four of The Odyssey, King Menelaus made it clear that all strangers were to be welcomed and treated as if they were his own. When Eteoneus asked the King if Prince Telemachus and Pisistratus should be invited in or turned away, he replied "...Just think


In the heroic culture of Ancient Greece, hospitality did not necessarily mean that you were to welcome your guest in for a day but rather for however long they felt suitable. It was the host's duty to make sure that the guest left with more things than they came in with. King Menelaus, an exceptional host, offered great things to Telemachus before he departed from the palace. He was known to have given a trio of stallions; a chariot burnished bright, a gorgeous cup, and a multitude of shining objects so that he could pour libations out to the deathless gods on high. He offered these things in the hope that Telemachus would remember him forever and to acquire his everlasting friendship. He demonstrates this furthermore by giving away his symbolic mixing-bowl, which was "

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Approximate Word count = 524
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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