Eumaios In The Odyssey By Homer

Have you ever had a remarkably good host? Can you recall what about the host made him or her great? Rather, have you ever had a very bad host? What was wrong with the host, so that you would remember how bad he or she was? In The Odyssey by Homer, hosts are also quite important, debatably more important than they are today. Back in the days of ancient Greece, hosts were expected to be helpful and hospitable and they were expected to serve their guests well, with generosity.

Eumaios exemplifies the qualities an excellent host should retain. When Odysseus, convincingly disguised as a poor, rugged beggar by Athena, comes to the humble abode of the swineherd, Eumaios tells his men to “bring in [their] best pig for a stranger’s dinner. A feast
will do [their] hearts good…” (Homer, XIV.487-488). Because of the swineherd’s costly decision to bring his optimal swine to have a bountiful feast with such an unknown and mysterious beggar, Eumaios’s hospitality, kindness, generosity, and service are displayed. This swineherd ends up to be one of the superior characters, perhaps not in power but in quality character. To conclude, despite Eumaios being a poor, humble swineherd, he proves to be a great host. On the other side of the spectrum from Eumaios exists a quite dreadful host.
Rather than helping his guests, he “clutche[s] at [Odysseus’s] companions and [catches] two in his hands like squirming puppies to beat their brains out, spattering the floor” (XI.313-315). If Odysseus had failed to formulate a genius escape plan, the entirety of his men would be digested. Given the fact that the idea of feeding Odysseus and his men just a morsel does not even come close to Polyphemos’s dull brain, and that he does not even think twice about gorily devouring a couple of Odysseus’s helpless men, it is obvious that the idea of Polyphemos owning qualities such as hospitality or helpfulness would not come near the mind of a sane man, much the same as the idea of feeding Odysseus and his poor men never ventures within proximity of Polyphemos’s lack of a brain. This Cyclops openly displays the untamed, savage-like behavior he is meant to own, so his lack of qualities expected from hosts could be predicted from anybody. To recapitulate, Polyphemos the Cyclops lacks the abilities to be a great host similar to Eumaios so much that his decisions when honorable guests enter his stony abode are to gore and eat them in front of their traumatized
companions. Finally, analyzing the given evidence, it is indisputable that the Greeks in value traits in their hosts such as hospitality, kindness, and the willingness to serve guests. Because of the way great hosts are exemplified and bad hosts are shown as sinister in the story, the quality of great hosts become clear. Whether it be from Polyphemos’s wicked ways or Eumaios’s giving heart, one may learn what is valued in a host by the Greeks: kindness, hospitality, and service.