Hospitality Is Entertaining a Friend of a Stranger Essay

Hospitality, according to Wikipedia’s definition, it as a generous reception or entertainment of guests; however, the Greeks have a better definition. In Greek, hospitality is translated to philoxenia, or literally â€Å"friend of a stranger†. This is a deeper meaning of hospitality, and it is displayed in many forms and fashions, even in literature. Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, is a prime example of a piece of literature that contains the theme of hospitality. The Odyssey centers on a man named Odysseus and his journey back to his homeland, Ithaka, after the Trojan War. Throughout the story, Homer constantly reveals the hospitality the Greek citizens offer to fellow travelers, for the Greeks fear that the travelers are gods who will punish them†¦show more content†¦Meneleus exhibits true hospitality when accepting Telemakhos into his palace. Telemakhos is intrigued to know what has become of his father, so he resorts to asking one of Odysseus’ frie nds, Meneleus, King of Sparta, who fought alongside Odysseus during the Trojan War. When Telemakhos arrives, Meneleus has no knowledge that Telemakhos is Odysseus’ son. Still Meneleus invites Telemakhos into his palace because he wants, ‘â€Å"†¦these men to be [his] guests†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (4.39). Meneleus is no fool to not accept Telemakhos and his men into his palace. He knows that these men could be gods, and that if they were gods, they could inflict terrible suffering upon him if he denied them hospitality. Meneleus, the most powerful man in Sparta, is still humble to obeying the traditional law of hospitality to travelers. Given all the power Meneleus has, he does not have to accept Telemakhos and his men into his palace, yet he allows them to stay. He is unprepared for his guests, but even when his servant asks, ‘â€Å"†¦ shall we unhitch their team/ or send them on to someone free to receive them?†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Meneleus responds, ‘†Å"Could we have made it home again – and Zeus/ give us no more hard roving! – if other men had never fed us, given us lodging?†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (4.30-31; 35-37). Meneleus is humble towards the gods. He knows how powerful they are and can sympathize with travelersShow MoreRelatedHebrews 13 : Notes On The Bible1019 Words   |  5 Pagesthe NET where the text uses only â€Å"hospitality† all other translations include the specific wording â€Å"hospitality to strangers†. The world for hospitality here is the word that literally means â€Å"love of strangers† φÎ ¹ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ½ÃŽ µÃŽ ¾Ã¡ ½ ·ÃŽ ± G5381. Christians traveled to share the gospel and inns during this time were not safe so showing hospitality to unknown believers was a means to share the gospel (Mitchell 293). Verse two concludes with the statement that some have â€Å"shown hospitality† TNIV, NIV or â€Å"entertained† NRSVRead MoreFar Removed From Our Individualistic Society Today Is The1514 Words   |  7 Pages Far removed from our individualistic society today is the ancient Greece portrayed in The Odyssey, by Homer, where hospitality and good-will are a given in the lives of decent, moral people. As commanded by Zeus himself, those who wish the favor of the Gods must welcome foreign and domestic visitors with hospitality. The term developed to describe this concept is the Latin, xenia or guest-friendship. In ancient Greek literature, forms of the word xenia (ÃŽ ¾ÃŽ µÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ±), are fairly common: Homer s twoRead MoreFamily Reputation And Continuing The Patriarchal Characteristics Of Their Fathers1171 Words   |  5 Pagesimportant for a boy to have his father present as he grows up. For Telechamascus, who was just a baby when his father, Odysseus, left for Troy had to teach himself how to keep his family’s reputation the way his father would. Xenia, the Greek word for hospitality, was immensely important to Odysseus. In Ancient Gree ce, Xenia wasn’t just about being nice to your guests, it had a set of rules that when followed, established the relationship between the guest and the host. Since Odysseus was not in his lifeRead MoreHospitality in the Odyssey1979 Words   |  8 PagesJacqueline Medina World Humanities Professor Brown March 13, 2011 Hospitality: Good or Bad? Hospitality as a theme in any literary work may not seem note-worthy. However, in Homers epic poem, The Odyssey, it becomes fundamental to the telling of the story. In addition to hospitality in The Odyssey, the question of is it given out of fear of retribution from the gods or out of true generosity, is raised. What is also shown is the form of which it comes in, whether it be unwanted, givenRead MoreThe Importance of Hospitality Illustrated in Homers Odyssey Essay1708 Words   |  7 PagesHomer, 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 hospitalit y from everyoneRead MoreXenia in the Odyssey1993 Words   |  8 Pagesthemes in The Odyssey is the concept of xenia, which is the old Greek word for hospitality. In modern times, hospitality is something we rarely think of, and the first thing that comes to mind is the hotel industry, but in ancient Greece, xenia was not about hotels, or just about etiquette, it was a way of life with many benefits in a world that was still mostly savage. Xenia was more than just being polite to strangers. It was a set of rules and customs that defined the guest-host relationship betweenRead MoreHospitality in the Odyssey1853 Words   |  8 PagesJeremy Worden Hospitality Illustrated in Homer s The Odyssey Far removed from our individualistic society today is the ancient Greece portrayed in Homer’s The Odyssey, where hospitality and good will are the main focus of these people. As decreed by Zeus himself, those who wish the favor of the Gods must welcome foreigners 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.Read MorePurpose of Evaluating Customer Service Policies26269 Words   |  106 PagesManual on Module II Introduction to Hospitality By Authors Mr Murray Mackenzie School of Hotel Tourism Management The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Dr Benny Chan Hong Kong Community College The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Consultant Mr Tony Tse School of Hotel Tourism Management The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Introduction to Hospitality Copyright  © The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region All rights reserved. The copyrightRead MorePurpose of Evaluating Customer Service Policies26276 Words   |  106 PagesManual on Module II Introduction to Hospitality By Authors Mr Murray Mackenzie School of Hotel Tourism Management The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Dr Benny Chan Hong Kong Community College The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Consultant Mr Tony Tse School of Hotel Tourism Management The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Introduction to Hospitality Copyright  © The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region All rights reserved. The copyright of this manual belongsRead MoreEssay on A Modern Interpretation of Romeo and Juliet 3467 Words   |  14 Pagescharacters. Romeo Montague is lovesick because the woman he loves, Rosaline, has vowed never to marry. Romeo’s friends convince him to go to a party that night to look at other girls. Juliet Capulet’s parents want her to marry Count Paris, even though she is only thirteen years old. At the party that night, Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love immediately. After the party, Romeo leaves his friends to seek out Juliet. He finds her balcony, and the two exchange words of love and express their desire to