Hospitality

The Odyssey mirrors the concept of hospitality throughout the “adventures of Odysseus, as well as the people, nymphs, gods, and creatures he meets.  Whether it be King Menelaus, or the princess or Odysseus himself, everyone is seen as hospitable to strangers. Upon further study into this and discussions in class, I learned that being hospitable to strangers was a customary norm in Ancient Greece, and this norm was so important that it was thought to be maintained by Zeus himself. This is why we see hosts in the Odyssey referring to strangers as Zeus (sure, Odysseus does appear like a god, but it’s not just that he looks good, just the idea that he is a traveler). You were suppose to treat every stranger as a hospitable as possible, because you never know, it could be a god (as we often see in the Odyssey).

But of course there are problems with this system as well. While some guests might overuse this system (like the suitors, which I talk about below), some hosts might overuse this system as well, as seen in the case of Telemachus and Nestor. Upon encountering Nestor, Telemachus found himself with an overabundance of hostility, with Nestor really liking the guy (so he constantly tells him stories and entertains him, which Telemachus isn’t really interested in, but he can’t deny it either). Keeping the idea of overabundance of hospitality, Odysseus begins to question the people who are being hospitable to them-- are they being hospitable because they are nice people or because they are afraid of the gods and the idea of Xenia?

There are limits as well, when the guests overuse this system. This can be seen with the suitors. The suitors have crossed the line of just being guests. I said in class a few days back that the suitors crossed their limits when the plotted against Telemachus (in book 4..?), but when I go back to think about it now, I feel that they crossed their limits by just staying in the palace of someone else for over TWENTY YEARS! But of course, they do get their heads bashed out in the end, just like they deserved.    

The not so hidden catalyst of the Odyssey: Athena

After the presentations on the “Wandering”, it seems that Athena has really struck out as a character-- so much so, that I think she is possibly the main character of the book. Ok, yeah, she isn’t the main (rolling my eyes) character, but she is responsible for Odysseus being the main character. Athena is the core of the Odyssey because nearly every act, everything that goes on, is performed through Athena’s lens. We first see her when she meets Telemachus. She comes to Odysseus’ palace disguised as mentor, advising Telemachus to journey to Sparta and Pylos, to both find information about his father, as well as continue the “legacy” of his father (specifically, being able to stand up to his reputation by having his own little “Odyssey”). While Telemachus doesn’t find much information at the end of his journey, he does return home as a man, a true prince, who is capable of his handling his kingdom in his own hands, in the unforeseen future. Before that, when Telemachus has to set out on his journey, it is Athena who sets him up with a ship. She also tells Penelope, who is really worried about her son, in a dream that Telemachus will make it back alive and rejuvenated. And this is just in the Telemachiad.

Athena also convinces the Phaeacian princess to help out Odysseus; she helps him get off of Calypso’s island; she also helps him get to Phoenicians; she tells him when he is back in Ithaca; she “advises” Telemachus to come back to Ithaca; she orchestrates Odysseus and Telemachus in such a manner that they both meet outside the palace in a hut (who just happens to belong to an extremely loyal servant); she makes the plan to get suitors’ brains dashed out; she changes the appearance of characters (and the city of Ithaca itself) nearly everytime we meet her. She just doesn’t bug off- I did a quick search on my ebook, and Athena appears 162 times! So what does this mean, and what is the importance of Athena reappearing in the book so many times?

Athena, as stated before, is the core to this epic, kind of like Lord Krishna in the Indian epic, The Mahabharata. Athena serves as the ingredient to the recipe of a cake. Sure, cake’s really good, but in order to have this cake, you must first have all the necessary ingredients in place. This epic is not about the return of the brave Odysseus-- it is rather the result of Athena playing a game which amuses her. The people and creatures associated are but puppets.  

September 5th, 2014