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 …

…to perfection…solid silver finished off with a lip of gold.” It was given to him by a royal friend who lavished it on him when he was a stranger seeking help. The concept of Hospitality in the Ancient Greece was to share with those who are lost and abandoned while most hosts were granted great fortunes for their good deeds. Fortunes was not the only thing that hospitality brought, it also yielded great friendships.