УДК 82-131

How the values of guest-friendship define the difference between civilisation and barbarism in Homer’s Odyssey

Масленникова Анастасия Германовна – студентка бакалавриата Московского педагогического государственного университета

Abstract: In Ancient Greece, the law of xenia played a crucial role. This included such notions as hospitality, generosity, guest-friendship, and respect for the gods. Strangers were considered to be under the sacred protection of gods so breaking the code of hospitality meant disobeying the gods. Moreover, if hosts treated guests in a proper manner, this act of kindness was expected to returned later. In The Odyssey by Homer, it is possible to find various examples of good and bad hosts. The former was, for instance, the Phaeacians whereas the latter was the Cyclops. The Phaeacians had a set of strict rules to follow and, therefore, were the representatives of the civilised society. By contrast, the Cyclops belonged to the barbaric society because these creatures did not have any laws to obey.

Keywords: hospitality, guests, gods, civilisation, barbarism, law.

Introduction

Nowadays, hospitality is often considered to be unnecessary and even dangerous. However, back then, in Ancient Greece, the code of hospitality was seen as a crucial cultural law which regulated the social conduct of Greeks. Xenia is a Greek word for hospitality and this aspect is vividly shown in Homer’s Odyssey. In short, The Odyssey is an epic poem which gives an account of the story of Odysseus’s homecoming during the 10-year period and the obstacles he was to overcome to return to Ithaca after the Trojan war. In the work, the author explored the problem of guest-friendship and managed to shed light on the principles by which the life of the ancient Greeks was guided. Thus, the research aims to define how the values of guest-friendship define the difference between civilisation and barbarism in The Odyssey. The paper has the following structure: literature review, research methods, key results and discussion, conclusion and work cited.

Literature review

In Ancient Greece, the very notion of xenia implied the respectful and generous attitude towards strangers who visited the land. The man was expected to provide guests with food, a bath and other conditions necessary to recover from a long journey and prepare for the next one [4, p. 27].  There were a number of reasons why strangers had to be treated in this way. First and foremost, guests were considered to be under the sacred protection of the Gods. Zeus, the “king” of the Gods, was seen as the benefactor of all the strangers who needed rest and aid in the foreign lands [1, p. 244]. Thus, treating them in the inhospitable manner was equal to disrespecting Zeus and breaking the God's law. In addition, the fact that the Gods could have been disguised as beggars or poor travellers also “ensured the enforcement of the moral duty of hospitality” among the ancient Greeks [5, p. 506]. 

Another reason for the show of hospitality towards guests was to lay the foundation for cooperation in the future. Ancient Greeks followed the principle “do as you would be done by” [5, pp. 506-507]. Consequently, by providing a warm reception of strangers, hosts in Ancient Greece expected to be treated in the same way in the role of guests in the future. Certainly, the sense of brotherhood also contributed to this tradition of generosity, but this was not the key factor in some cases [2, p. 134]. Therefore, as can be seen, the necessity to comply with the Gods’ will, or even maybe the fear of the Gods’ wrath, and the development of collaboration for the future were among the key reasons why Greeks were generous towards strangers and beggars.

Research methods

 To begin with, as hospitality is one of the main themes presented in The Odyssey, it is possible to find a number of examples of this feature in the poem which indicate what appropriate or inappropriate attitude towards Odysseus as a traveller says about his hosts. For instance, there is a significant difference between the ways Odysseus was welcomed by the Phaeacians and by the Cyclops. The former played a crucial role in the man’s returning home. These people were fully aware of the principles of guest-host relationships. Upon finding Odysseus on the shore, Princess Nausicaa said, “So, my girls, give this stranger food and drink. Then bathe him in the river …” [3, p. 122]. Then the girl helped him to get to the palace of her father Alcinous where the man was met with a grand feast. The Phaeacians listened carefully to Odysseus’s stories and then helped the hero to reach the city of Scheria. Likewise, Odysseus played the role of a good guest who accepted the gifts of the Phaeacians with gratitude. 

By contrast, the Cyclops are presented as bad hosts. When Odysseus with the crew arrived at the island where these creatures lived, the man brought with him some wine and cheese to share with the hosts and asked Polyphemus, one of the Cyclops, to provide his people with food and shelter in accordance with the tradition of guest-friendship. However, this was a huge mistake as the cyclops, instead of feeding the guests, decided to eat some crew members and keep the rest as cattle. Possibly, the reason for such an inhospitable attitude towards strangers lies in the Cyclops’ contrary nature. As Polyphemus put this, “I wouldn’t spare you or your comrades to escape the wrath of Zeus ...” [3, p. 174). These creatures considered themselves stronger than gods and, therefore, didn’t obey the Greek law of hospitality. Thus, it is possible to notice that not all the characters in The Odyssey were willing to be good hosts due to the principles of their culture. 

Before the discussion of the polarity of the Cyclops’ culture it is necessary to define the difference between the two core concepts - “civilisation” and “barbarism”. The factors which make the former possible are law, organisation and craftsmanship. For instance, the Phaeacians gathered to discuss the common law and their civilised society could be compared to a well-functioning system. This was contrary to how the life of the Cyclops was organised. They were not aware of any concept of communal justice and a state of anarchy prevailed on their island. This is what is called barbarism. Evidently, the main difference between the civilised and uncivilised societies is the existence or absence of laws to follow. The Phaeacians, as has been discussed before, strictly obeyed the code of hospitality and respected the Gods, so they can definitely be called civilised society. However, the example with the Cyclops is completely opposite to the situation with the Phaeacians. It is possible to suggest that since Cyclops did not obey any laws, then the law of xenia was not a priority at the island of the Cyclops too. The Cyclops were not used to providing a warm and generous welcome for poor travellers therefore they violated the will of Zeus and other gods. This is why the culture of these creatures can be called barbaric. As can be seen, the values of xenia predominant in some cultures and meaningless in other cultures indeed play a crucial role in distinguishing between civilisation and barbarism in The Odyssey. 

Key results and discussion

As can be seen, in Ancient Greece, the attitudes of various people and creatures towards guests differed from culture to culture. The Phaeacians were good hosts and, hence, probably rewarded by gods for following the law of xenia. However, the very essence of the Cyclops’ nature did not entail the show of hospitality towards strangers, but, probably, gods were afraid of opposing these giant creatures.  Thus, the Cyclops’ culture can be characterized as barbaric due to the absence of any laws at the island. Phaeasians are, vice versa, an example of civilised society in Ancient Greece.

Conclusion

In conclusion, xenia was an important piece of cultural law in Ancient Greece and, in particular, in the story about Odysseus. There were a number of reasons why Greeks were used to showing a hospitable attitude to strangers and beggars and many characters in the poem also possessed this trait whereas others, like the Cyclops, defied this law of guest-friendship. The way Odysseus was met by the Phaeacians indicates the civilised nature of these people. By contrast, the Cyclops’ inhospitable reception of the hero and his crew confirms that these creatures can be attributed to the barbarian society. 

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