The hospitality of the Greeks is a central theme in Homers Odyssey - discuss.
The hospitality of the Greeks is a central theme in Homer's Odyssey. Much of Homer's epic poem is devoted to descriptions of the feasting and gift giving by generous hosts. Hospitality is concerned with the relationship between guest and host. The conventions of Greek hospitality serve a number of purposes, such as pleasing the gods, pleasing guests, spreading a good reputation throughout the known world. In the Odyssey, the purpose serves particularly as pleasing the guests. Hospitality is one of the laws of God (Zeus) in the Odyssey. Strangers may be dangerous or just as simple as a beggar. There are certain rules of hospitality needed, such as inviting a stranger into your home, and even gift offerings. If these rules of hospitality are not carried out, the consequences are very severe. Being a good host is very important in The Odyssey, even to the gods. This is crucial to people in Homer's time because it was a way to find out news and someday they may need to rely upon someone's hospitality themselves. Hospitality or the lack of it, affects Odysseus throughout the epic. Odysseus' palace, while he has been away, has been taken over by the suitors who are looking for Penelope's hand in marriage. The suitors show no kind of hospitality to strangers and have abused the hospitality of Telemachus and Penelope. Telemachus is not old enough and lacks the strength to get rid
Discuss the importance of hospitality as a theme in the Odyssey
Discuss the importance of hospitality as a theme in the Odyssey In the Odyssey there are many examples of how hospitality is shown, in many different ways, some good and some not so pleasing. In this essay I will hopefully cover all these points and explain all of these in detail. Greeks believed that any person who turns up at your door should feed, clothe and bathe them without even needing to know there name assuming they are in need of help. This is called reciprocal hospitality; this means that you look after the person who turns up at your door in need, so that when you are in need the person whose door you turn up at will accept you in the same way. This is what Homer the "writer" of this book is trying to portray; a Greece a few hundred years back where everyone was friendly and great adventures happened with great heroes like Odysseus. In this way Homer used a lot of hospitality to persuade people to return to the way things were back in the day of heroes and adventure. The first instance of hospitality we find is when Odysseus washes up on the island of Calypso and before anytime at all she washes him and gives him food and clean clothes, this shows that a demigoddess shows hospitality just as all humans do. As we find out though even Calypso can be looked down upon, we know this because Hermes turns up to bring news from Zeus and is shocked when Calypso starts
The Hospitality in the Odyssey.
Omar Hernandez 95-1809 06/15/03 The Hospitality in the Odyssey In the epic, by Homer, "The Odyssey", hospitality is demonstrated at various points. It is never really genuine, but forced upon due to circumstance. Throughout the entire epic Odysseus finds himself stranded on many islands and is greeted by a being that either dwells or has control over the island, and at one point or another they display some form of hospitality. Kyklops, Aiolos, and Kirke have self-motivated reason for showing hospitality, but never the less they are hospitable. Kyklops, a one-eyed giant that consumes humans, showed very little hospitality. The only time that he was hospitable to Odysseus is when he was drunk, and asked Odysseus for more wine. In return for the wine, the Kyklops promised him a gift. The gift was that he would eat Odysseus last. Even though it does not seem like much of a gift, Kyklops felt like it was a great honor. The only reason that Kyklops was sociable at all was because he desired the wine and Odysseus was the only one that could bring him the wine. The act of kindness had absolutely nothing to do with the idea of being kind, it was all to gain something greater in return. The Aiolia Island belonged to Aiolos Hippotades, the King of the wind. When Odysseus arrived he welcomed him with great hospitality, but made him stay for one month and tell him the
Hospitality in the odysseys within The Odyssey
James Rossi HON 101 - 001 Dr. Campbell 9 - 28 - 09 Hospitality in the odysseys within The Odyssey Far removed from our individualistic society today is the ancient Greece portrayed in The Odyssey, by Homer, where hospitality and good will are the way of things. As decreed by Zeus himself, those who wish the favor of the Gods must welcome foreign and domestic with hospitality. A man was supposed to offer the best of his food, his home, and his knowledge before ever asking for his guest's name or why he was there. There is a sense that those of high status are the main givers of hospitality, but they are not the only ones commanded to offer hospitality. Homer emphasizes hospitality from everyone during Telemachus' and Odysseus' journeys, using a man's xenos, host/guest relationships, with his guest to infer his integrity and character. If a man isn't pure, then he doesn't show hospitality and Homer makes sure that man is put in his proper place through the vengeance of those he has wronged. As far as integrity goes, there is none greater than Telemachus. He is a moral and virtuous prince, devoted both to his mother and to his father's house, so when Athena appears in the house of Odysseus, Telemachus does all that he can to show hospitality to her despite having little left to offer from Penelope's suitors. These men are the scum of the Earth. They have no regard for the
"Justice is a theme of all great literature" Is justice more important in the Odyssey or the Aeneid?
"Justice is a theme of all great literature" Is justice more important in the Odyssey or the Aeneid? Justice comes from actions and decisions being balanced, in that when someone does a good thing, they are rewarded, and when they do something bad, they are punished. It is the gods' primary role to hand out justice and make sure everybody is treated fairly. This theme appears immediately in the Odyssey, as Zeus is considering the story of Aegisthus, who courted Agamemnon's wife and then killed Agamemnon. Aegisthus was killed for this treacherous act. This story of justice shows us instantly that the Odyssey will be strongly structured around it. "May all who act as he did share his fate!" says Athene. This shows how openly the gods in the Odyssey despised the works of those who went against the will of the gods. Both Nestor and Menelaus repeat this story of Aegisthus, and as god fearing men, they know how important it is to stay on their right side because they know what happens as a result of an imbalance in terms of justice. The Aeneid opens however and we're told that the poem is based on the founding of Rome and the main string of 'justice' seems to be coming from one scorned goddess, who simply doesn't want her favourite city to be destroyed. The balance she tries to restore is simply an act of revenge rather than actual justice, and rather than convincing the other
How important is the episode in Phaeacia compared to the rest of the poem? "The Odyssey," written by Homer
How important is the episode in Phaeacia compared to the rest of the poem? "The Odyssey," written by Homer, is the story of Odysseus and how he faced misfortune in his attempts to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Homer describes Odysseus' journey and shows that his return back home is greatly influenced by several Gods and Goddesses. Three such influential Gods are Calypso, Athene and Poseidon. This intervention of the Gods is a recurring pattern and stylistic technique that Homer utilises in his Greek epic, "The Odyssey." Book five opens with the Gods sat down in assembly and with the goddess Athene feeling sorry for noble Odysseus due to him being imprisoned in Nymph Calypso's home on the island of Ogygia. She said before them that the she wishes for him to return home and to return quickly, this she asks the Gods to help her with. Hermes the Messenger is sent by Zeus to deliver the news to Calypso that it is time now for Odysseus to return home. However, his return would not be simple. Odysseus should be given no help, he should build a raft with his own hands and set out to sail with the help of no man or God. When he reaches a certain city that is owned by the Gods they shall make him a boat and give him riches. Already, from the opening of book five, Odysseus' challenge is set and the reader learns where he has been for the past seven years, on an
Compare and contrast the theme of "fathers and sons" as depicted in the Bible, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid.
Classics in World Lit. Lesson #1 / Compare and contrast the theme of "fathers and sons" as depicted in the Bible, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid. The theme of "fathers and sons" is depicted in similar forms between these three readings. In all of these works we see that there is a great love, loyalty and admiration between all of our fathers and their sons. In The Book of Joseph from the Bible we see that Jacob, Joseph's father has come to favor him and his younger brother Benjamin more so than the other eleven children. This favoritism causes great jealousy and animosity amongst the other brothers and they plot to get rid of Joseph, which they do by selling him to the Ishmaelites. The brothers return home with a bloodied coat of Josephs, leading their father Jacob to believe that his son has died a horrible death. This tragedy causes great grief for Jacob who becomes even more overprotective of his son Benjamin. What I find hard to understand is why Joseph never had the urge to escape his captors or even in all of his travels prophesizing he was never compelled to return home to relieve his father's heartbreak in addition to take vengeance on his brothers. I know that in the end everything works out and he forgives as well as takes care of his brothers and family but I think I would have had to make my way back home to avenge myself. In "The Odyssey" we see Odysseus'
Why is Book 21 important to the Odyssey?
Why is Book 21 important to the Odyssey? (By Ivan Kam) Book 21 is the turning point of the Odyssey as it indicates the returning of Odysseus to Ithaca and how he takes over the whole situation by easily stringing the bow. These are vital to a good chapter and hence, this turns book 21 tremendously important to Odyssey as everything is starting to be put right. There are two main important events in book 21. Firstly, it's Odysseus' bow. This bow is originally given to Odysseus before any of his hardships during the trip to Messene. The bow symbolises the old and happy days when there are no Suitors and no one can challenge Odysseus' rule. The bow also tells us that who is the rightful king of Ithaca as it unveils the character of the king-the physical strength, like if only Odysseus can string the bow none of the Suitors can. Thus, this tells us none of the suitors are ready and capable to lead Ithaca. Moreover, the Suitors' failure of stringing the bow tells us they can't marry with Penelope. Odysseus strings the bow with his first attempt, illustrates that he is on the position of the King of Ithaca and the proper mate for Penelope. This event is important to book 21 because it shows the contrast between Odysseus and the Suitors which they are the main characters of the chapter. And they are the main building block of the whole bowing scene which make book 21 important.
How important is Book 11 to the overall meaning of The Odyssey?
How important is Book 11 to the overall meaning of The Odyssey? The overall significance of Book 11 to the epic is that it shows how things change over time (Anticleia's death, the suitors at his home), which can be missed if someone is not around. It also shows us that the Ancient Greeks believe in destiny and intervention from the gods. The sacrifices and prayers from Odysseus and the attention he pays to Teiresias about returning to Ithaca show this. If he did not pay attention to Teiresias he may have done something to displease the gods (such as killing the 'Sun-gods' cattle and sheep). This could have lead to intervention from the gods to prevent Odysseus and his men from returning to their home. Book 11 also shows that they believed greatly in the afterlife, but unlike modern religions they believed that everyone went to Hades (Hell), with the exception of those souls who were left to wander the earth for all eternity. The afterlife was always thought to be a lot darker and bleaker than people now seem to think. It is Circe who tells Odysseus of the trip which he and his men must take. He then has to tell all of his men. All of them are very distraught when they first find out that they must travel to the ends of the earth. They know it is going to be a journey of many perils. This is why Homer describes the men as 'heart-broken' telling us 'They sat down
How important is Odysseus disguise as a beggar to the success of The Odyssey?
How important is Odysseus' disguise as a beggar to the success of The Odyssey? Odysseus is disguised as a beggar by the goddess Athena, who helps him plot his revenge against the suitors who are courting his wife. From the vantage point of a beggar in his own court, Odysseus is able to assess who remains loyal to him, who the suitors are, their habits, and he is able to create disagreements amongst them. The information he collects allows him to formulate a plan for revenge. It also adds an element of surprise, so they don't recognize him and kill him first. It is undoubtedly important to the success of the epic to an extent seeing as without his disguise Odysseus' homecoming would not have been as impressive as it is now; the delay he disguise provides to the plot increasing the anticipation for Odysseus' true return. He doesn't disguise himself, Athena does it for him, and he conceals his identity at her urging as well. In this way, the creation of his disguise also displays the wisdom of Athene as it is she who disguises Odysseus into a beggar and leads him to the swineherd and plots and plans the fall of the suitors in Odysseus' house. Athena demonstrates her role as an active leader in her protection of Odysseus and his family by helping Odysseus with minor things such as his disguise, enhancing his physical appearance or making sure the suitors' arrows miss Odysseus at
