it may not be as extensive and serious as it is portrayed in the Odyssey‚ today’s hospitality is still relatable to those times. Hospitality was expected of all guest and host relationships. Xenia held both social and religious importance‚ as it was believed in ancient Greece that any person could actually be a god in disguise. In turn‚ xenia is a very important and prevalent major theme throughout Homer’s Odyssey. The custom of xenia to the Greeks meant a lot during a time when most of the world was
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Kaitlyn Lambert MR. Bovaird Honors English 9 23 May 2010 The Significance of Xenia in Homer’s Odyssey The society of Ancient Greece was very much centered around the gods‚ and a healthy fear of the consequences of not obeying their laws. The next most important staples of the society were the concepts of braver‚ pride‚ and hospitality‚ or Xenia. The significance of these values is shown quite clearly in The Odyssey of Homer. In the first five books of the epic‚ Telemachos is shown great hospitality
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Throughout the Odyssey there is an ongoing theme of hospitality or xenia that shows cultural values. The ancient cultural value of Xenia is a religious and social accept that has to do with the relationship between guest and hosts. Both the guess and the host have specific roles. The role of the host was to take in the stranger‚ provide him with shelter‚ food‚ drink and aiding them on their journey with whatever means they have to spear. This is seen in book one when Telemachus unknowingly takes
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The Value of Xenia on a Hero’s Journey A centralized idea in Ancient Greek society was the value of Xenia. Xenia was the Greek word for what we know as hospitality. Hospitality played a vital role in the way a person went about life and lived. In Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey‚ both Odysseus and his son Telemachus’ journey’s include frequent encounters of hospitality. Hospitality signifies the host and guest relationship. Honoring a guest was important to a host because it meant pleasing the Gods
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Why is Xenia such an important theme in the Odyssey? Explain your views and support them with details from the poem. (45 marks) The concept of guest hospitality was extremely important in ancient Greece. Evidence that Xenia was integral to Greek society can be found in the fact that Zeus‚ the king of the Gods‚ was also portrayed as the God of Xenia. Xenia created an obligation for the host to be hospitable to their guests‚ and conversely‚ the guests had their own responsibilities too. If either
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ridiculous and nevertheless unsafe is rather unheard of during the time of the Ancient Greeks. Hospitality is perhaps the most important and most popular quality of their society. Homer‚ a Greek author‚ tells his readers in his epic‚ The Odyssey‚ the significance of xenia demonstrated by characters when they are tested for their loyalty or when they are in need of help‚ representing the philosophy of the Greek culture. Homer‚ not willing to start the story off with a slow beginning‚ immediately brings
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extremely important in Homer’s "Odyssey." The higher a society’s level of hospitality‚ the more civilized that society is. Some specific examples of hospitality in "The Odyssey" are: Telemakhos’s treatment upon his arrival in Nestor‚ Odysseus’s treatment of Polyphemus‚ Penelope’s treatment of her suitors‚ and the slaying of those suitors by Odysseus. The Greek belief concerning the origin of the concept of hospitality‚ often called Xenia‚ is reflected at the end of "The Odyssey." The more hospitably
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Persson 1 Mrs. Matone English 9-H 4 March 2013 In The Odyssey‚ Homer suggests that xenia is a very important feature of ancient Greece. Xenia is a kind of code of moral conduct for hospitality. For example‚ In The Odyssey there are times when reciprocation is given when traveling. Furthermore‚ the Greek people show xenia because Zeus demands hospitality from humans. Lastly there are many times when hospitality is shown to strangers even
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An Analysis of The Odyssey The Odyssey is an Epic written by the ancient Greek poet Homer. The epic is a sequel to one of Homer’s previous works The Iliad. This story follows the great hero Odysseus’ struggles to find his way home after the Trojan War. There are plenty of monsters‚ angry gods‚ and hostile natives that hinder his journey home along the way; however‚ this tale is overflowing with Odysseus‚ his crew‚ and their undoubtable reckless actions and succumbing to temptation. Giving in to
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The parallel adventure between Telemachus and Odysseus Throughout the first four books of The Odyssey Homer described the way the suitors consume everything in Odysseus’ house and bully Telemachus around rendering immediately as a vulnerable character in comparison to his great father. This gives a sign to the leader that Telemachus being a main character will have to accomplish something. For control of the house‚ Athena sent Odysseus on more adventures and sent Telemachus on his telemachy which
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