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Hospitality And Xenia In Homer's The Odyssey

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Hospitality And Xenia In Homer's The Odyssey
There are many different themes in The Odyssey, but the most prominent theme Homer portrays in his epic poem is hospitality or Xenia. The act of Xenia was perhaps the most important Greek custom out of all because you see it being performed time and time again throughout Odysseus’ journey home. The Odyssey was about the twenty year long journey of King Odysseus return to Ithaca from battling in the Trojan War. The theme of hospitality is present not only while Odysseus is travelling from city to city, but also at his home in Ithaca, where his wife and son, Penelope and Telemachus’, palace is being overrun with suitors. On Odysseus’ trying journey home, he was welcomed by several kings displaying Xenia, not only because it was Greek custom,
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