A Civilization’S Development Through Xenia

The philosopher Immanuel Kant is well known for his belief that there is ‘radical evil’ within human nature, which means that if given the option between virtue and vice, generally vice will be the predominant state. That is why there are strict laws in place because it is assumed that the lack of laws and consequence will result in ultimate chaos. Since the beginning of humanity, society has had a very significant influence on how people act and how others perceive their actions. For example, in modern western society, albeit rather hard to find, courtesy and benevolence are considered honourable characteristics but are not always expected when dealing with the public. Even the word ‘hospitality’ is automatically associated with hotel service, and not ordinary day to day interactions.

Needless to say, things were quite different in the eighth century B.C. In Ancient Greek societies, xenia is a social obligation and is a major mark of civilization. It is also a major theme in Homer’s Odyssey. Xenia was not only considered a form of etiquette, it was the lifestyle of the ancient Greeks. People were not merely expected to be nice to strangers – it revolved around a set of rules that elucidated the guest-host relationships between individuals and groups. The rules were not only for the host; they also applied to the guests including refraining from making demands, insulting the host, or refusing hospitality and these same rules also applied to the host when it comes to treating the guest; the hosts did not even need to know the guests name! Moreover, it was common to exchange gifts and pleasantries between the guest and host.

It is also important to note that xenia was not a free for all situation. It was based off social class, so a person of low social class would not be able to seek hospitality at a noble person’s mansion, and a noble person should not seek hospitality in a humble household. The concept of hospitality is so important in Ancient Greece that the most powerful god also known as the supreme god of Olympians, Zeus, was also the god of hospitality. As delightful as the whole concept of xenia seems, in The Odyssey, it was constantly portrayed as a problematic burden for both, the guest and the host due to the fact that the boundaries were not set very clearly. Regardless, Homer displays xenia as a measure of civilization, or the lack of, within communities.

The author shows us a representation of xenia by illustrating Odysseus’ journey which took place because he was lost at sea, and having his destiny bounced around because the gods could not agree on his situation for ten years. Although they did not have any control over his fate, they still had the ability to make achieving it feel like a suicide mission. Throughout the Odyssey, it becomes Odysseus’ responsibility to figure out and understand the level of xenia within the different cultures. This helped him determine whether he would be able to depend on a culture and receive hospitality, or to flee from hostility. Since xenia is the transformation from stranger to guest, and guest being an extension of self, the rules mentioned above are a very important determinant of how civilized the people in a community are because if the rules are broken, then so is the trust. Once the trust is broken, the relationship between guest and host becomes a burden. Therefore, Odysseus had to maintain a good guest profile while encountering different communities with varying social structures.

The level of civilisation could be measured by how much the community respects the gods, and what food is consumed. A big part of building relationships in ancient Greek culture revolved around food and feasting. Not only is there a focus on which types of foods were eaten, the way it was eaten played a very big part of portraying the level of social interaction. In Greece, the main meals involved bread and meat, specifically beef or pork – but on Odysseus’ journey he encountered people who do not value bread as much as the Greeks, and even the meat they eat is not always taken from animals. This is very looked down upon within Greek ideology because cannibalism defies every aspect of xenia in ancient Greece. When it came to respecting the gods, Odysseus came across communities that completely worshipped the gods and depended their entire lives on them, and others who had no regard for the gods whatsoever. On the flip side, the same way there were hosts providing hospitality for Odysseus, his family back home was having to do the same.

Unfortunately, the suitors staying at his home in Ithica were breaking the rules of xenia. Xenia was not merely a guest-host relationship among the mortal humans. The gods and immortals also have a significant influence on this concept, but that does not mean that all the immortals have a good understanding, or respect, for hospitality. Realistically, there is no way for humans to monitor xenia themselves since it could spread along many cities, therefore the gods were requested to be in charge of managing and maintaining hospitality within individuals and groups. This means that if a breach of rules takes place, it is punishable by both the humans and gods. Although leaving things up to the gods may give people comfort, it is a dilemma in The Odyssey because the gods are not fair when it comes to their punishment, and often times they completely ignored the punishment when a person close to the gods defied xenia.

Without Xenia the narrative of the epic would cease to exist because Odysseus needs to rely on hospitality to be able to make it back home alive and reclaim his palace. He is only able to do this by being in disguise. Being two steps ahead of everyone else by understanding which suitors deserve punishment, and how. In the meantime, he is also building a guest-host relationship with his son and wife which leads to a smoother transition back to Ithica. Homer revealed many positives and negatives regarding xenia throughout the epic but most importantly it demonstrates how important hospitality is. Xenia is of utmost importance to every interaction that takes place within the journey. Yet these positives and negatives indicate that a crucial part of civilization within Ancient Greece is susceptible to corruption and alterations.