Hospitality in Homer’s Odyssey

Hospitality in Homer’s Odyssey

The Odyssey is a cultural document incorporating societal values that created it offering insights into ideas of virtue and heroism during the time of the poet. The most critical societal value in The Odyssey is hospitality. Also referred to as “guest-friendship,” hospitality represented a social ritual required of men within the Greek ancient world. Hospitability guidelines expected men to be hosts to visitors, where they offered them food, a gift of friendship, a bath, a promise of safety in the night, including a safe, escorted travel to the visitor’s next destination. Guests are expected to present no threat to property or life and return the favor to their host should they become guests in the future. This paper aims at comparing hospitalities between Telemachus, Odyssey’s son, and Nausikaa, the Phaiakian princess, and Arete and Alkinoös’s daughter.

Through Telemachus, Odyssey offers an example of hospitality both as a guest and as a host. According to the narrator, Telemachus is the only person in the household who treats guests with the required respect. Of the many examples of hospitality in Odyssey, most are a display of the violation against the laws of hospitality. Athena travels to the mortal world to send Telemachus on a quest to learn about his father’s living status. She appears as a stranger in need of accommodation. Telemachus attends to Athena’s needs without hesitation despite being coerced into unrelenting housing suitors, “he saw Athena and went straight to the forecourt, the heart within him scandalized that a guest should be standing at the doors.” (Lines 117-120). The statement displays Telemachus perceived importance of guests. This instance requires that guests should be assisted regardless of the circumstances. Telemachus’ treatment of Athena demonstrates the honor treatment of guests:

“and he led her and spotted her in a chair, with a cloth to sit on, the chair splendid and elaborate. For her foot, there was a footstool. For himself, he drew a painted bench next to her, apart from the others, the suitors, for fear the guest, made uneasy by the uproar, might lose his appetite there among overbearing people.”(Lines 130-135)

Guests were afforded treatment better than that of hosts at the time. This is backed up by Telemachus’ treatment of Athena. Athena was later provided with luxuries and sustenance like platters of meat and a golden cup, which was continuously refilled with wine. As Athena eats, the dreadful suitors walk in to take part in the feast. Telemachus does not have good words for the suitors, and he complains to Athena:

“Dear stranger, would you be scandalized at what I say to you? This is all they think of, the lyre and the singing. Easy for them, since without penalty they eat up the substance of a man whose white bones lie out in the rain and fester somewhere in the mainland” (Lines 158-163)

The host is interested in knowing about the wellbeing of the guest. After Telemachus’s complaint about the suitors, he goes ahead to ask Athena a multitude of questions regarding her life:

“But come now, tell me this and give me an accurate answer. What man are you, and whence? Where is your city? Your parents? What kind of ship did you come here on? And how did the sailors bring you to Ithaka? What men do they claim they are? For I do not think you could have traveled on foot to this country. And tell me this too, tell me truly so that I may know it. Are you here fr the first time, or are you a friend of my father’s from abroad? Since many other men too used to come and visit our house in the days when he used to go about among people.” (Lines 169-173)

Athena brought news about Telemachus’ father. She informs him that she was a friend of his father, Odysseus and that he is on a journey back home and is not dead as Telemachus had thought. To confirm whether Odysseus still lives, he asks him to consult with Menelaus of Sparta and King Nestor of Pylos. Athena also asks Telemachus to create a plan of killing the suitors because of their insolence. After that, Athena prepares to leave; however, Telemachus, just like a proper host, asks her to stay even longer.

The exchange between Telemachus and Athena provides the reader with an insight into the rights of the guest when being attended to by a host. Gifts and baths were the necessities guests had to be given. The guest was also allowed to eat and sleep in the house of the host, even if previously unknown. However, the host was burdened with the responsibility of providing guests with their rights. In return, the host had the right to know about the lie of the guest, as is demonstrated in Telemachus and Athena’s encounter. Information about the guest’s life would provide an important source outside information, including knowing the guest more personally.

The encounter displays that good behavior is always rewarded. Telemachus being the example of a perfect host, and going even above that, Athena promises reward just before she flies away, leaving Telemachus in wonder.

Nausikaa, the Phaiakian Princess and daughter to Arete and Alkinoos, finds Odysseus and takes him to the palace. Nausicaä commands her maids to attend to Odysseus:

Stand fast, girls. Where are you flying, just because you have looked on a man? Do you think this is some enemy coming against us? There is no such man living nor can there be one who can come into the land of Phaiakians bringing war-like attack; we are so very dear to the immortals, and we live far apart by ourselves in the wash of the great sea at the utter end, nor do any other people mic with us. But since this is some poor wanderer who has come to us, we must now take care of him, since all wanderers and strangers are scared of the sight of Zeus, and the gift is light and a dear one. So, my attendants, give some food and drink to the stranger and bathe him where there is shelter from the wind, in the river.” (Lines 197-212)

Nausikaä finds Odysseus a shelter, provides him with clothes to wear, including smooth olive oil, and offers him a bathe. Noble Odysseus refuses to bathe with Nausikaä’s maid, choosing instead to bathe on his own. She offers Odysseus food and drink, where Odysseus eats eagerly, as it had been a long time since he tasted any food. Nausicäa assists Odysseus with the direction where she offers to direct him to her father’s house.

“Rise up now, stranger, to go to the city, so I can see you to the house of my prudent father, where I am confident you will be made known to the highest Phiakians. Or rather, do it this way, you seem to me not to be thoughtless. While we are still among the fields and the land the people work, for that time, follow the mules and the wagons walking lightly with the maids, and I will point lightly to you.” (Lines 255-262)

Nausikaa can be said to have learned the importance of hospitality from her parents, Alkinoos and Arete, who are equally hospitable. Before even enquiring about Odysseus’ name, they offer him entertainment, food, and lodging. According to Alkinoos, hospitality is a sacred duty to the gods.

Just like Telemachus, the suitors present a problem to the Nausikaä and her parents as hosts. In the absence of Odysseus, the suitors take advantage of the absence of the male house head and consume his entire livelihood hoping that one of them would be married to Penelope. Alkinoos and Arete, just like Telemachus, are hospitable, stretching themselves to the ultimate hospitable acts.