1,169
18
Research Paper, 2 pages (350 words)

Law of xenia

Law of Xenia Xenia, the Greek term for the Laws of Hospitality, The custom in classical Greece and other ancient cultures that, if a traveler comes to a strange town, he can ask forfood, shelter, and gifts to help him on his journey. In Greek tradition, the host was considered responsible for his guest’s comfort and safety, and a breach of those laws of hospitality was thought to anger Zeus, God of the gods.

In theOdysseythere are a few instances in which the law of Xenia is broken, quite a few of those belong in book nine of the Odyssey, in which Odysseus and his men are lured into a Cyclops’ cave in which the owner, Polypheus, is angered and doesn’t care about the law of Xenia. One example in which Polyphemus breaks Xenia is, when he fails in offering Odysseus a drink or some food instead he rudely frightens them and ask them impolitely who they are and what they were doing in his cave.

Polyphemus violates the law again when he eats some of Odysseus men, Xenia prohibits the host to make their guest unhappy, much less eat them. Although sometimes hosts disliked their guests and even disliked Xenia, they only followed it in fear of Zeus, Polyphemus son of Poseidon, believed that his father would protect him of Zeus and his wrath, so he broke the law once more by keeping Odysseus and his men inside his cave. He then even proclaimed that he wasn’t afraid of Zeus punishment for breaking Xenia relying on his father, Poseidon.

When Odysseus asks for his gift for being the guest at the Cyclops’ house the Cyclops reacts in anger, a common rule of Xenia is to present their guest with a precious gift but in this case he laughs and eats a few more men. At last, Odysseus manages to escape captivity by stabbing the large eye of Polyphemus. The Cyclops infuriated brings a curse upon him; for Odysseus to never reach his land, for the last time violating Xenia by casting a spell on his guests.

Thank's for Your Vote!
Law of xenia. Page 1
Law of xenia. Page 2
Law of xenia. Page 3

This work, titled "Law of xenia" was written and willingly shared by a fellow student. This sample can be utilized as a research and reference resource to aid in the writing of your own work. Any use of the work that does not include an appropriate citation is banned.

If you are the owner of this work and don’t want it to be published on AssignBuster, request its removal.

Request Removal
Cite this Research Paper

References

AssignBuster. (2022) 'Law of xenia'. 18 January.

Reference

AssignBuster. (2022, January 18). Law of xenia. Retrieved from https://assignbuster.com/law-of-xenia/

References

AssignBuster. 2022. "Law of xenia." January 18, 2022. https://assignbuster.com/law-of-xenia/.

1. AssignBuster. "Law of xenia." January 18, 2022. https://assignbuster.com/law-of-xenia/.


Bibliography


AssignBuster. "Law of xenia." January 18, 2022. https://assignbuster.com/law-of-xenia/.

Work Cited

"Law of xenia." AssignBuster, 18 Jan. 2022, assignbuster.com/law-of-xenia/.

Get in Touch

Please, let us know if you have any ideas on improving Law of xenia, or our service. We will be happy to hear what you think: [email protected]