Xenia as an Institution of Order in Homeric Society
Xenia, the custom of hospitality in Homeric society, is widely practiced in Homer's "The Odyssey." While xenia was at times extended to guests out of the goodness of a one's heart, it was more often extended as a method of maintaining order and avoiding conflict. Not only did xenia endear guests to their hosts and hostesses, often moving them to extend returning xenia should the opportunity arise; xenia was also a means of pleasing and honoring the gods, as visitors were believed to be sent from the gods for a specific purpose. When xenia is observed, peace and order prevail, as it did when Odysseus' son Telemachus visited Nestor. When xenia is not observed -- either by host or guest -- chaos ensues.
Regarding Telemachus' visit to Nestor, Telemachus was accompanied by the goddess Minerva and Nestor sought to honor the gods by receiving him hospitably.
"Heaven and the immortal gods," he exclaimed, "forbid that you should leave my house to go on board of a ship. Do you think I am so poor and short of clothes, or that I have so few cloaks and as to be unable to find comfortable beds both for myself and for my guests? Let me tell you I have store both of rugs and cloaks, and shall not permit the son of my old friend Ulysses to camp...
In addition to the diplomatic relationships established between the Greek poleis, in the frame of the political arena, there were also the alliances made between persons, usually high raking members of the ruling classes: "there was a fine-meshed network of personal relationships between prominent persons in the different cities based on 'guest friendship' (xenia): two friends (xenoi) from different poleis could promise to house and help each other when
For Aristotle, true freedom and liberty consists in ruling and being ruled in turn and not always insisting on fulfilling one's own personal desires at the cost of others. Thus, for Odysseus, true freedom can only come about when one is allowed to contribute to society for the betterment of everyone involved, a sure sign of moral correctness and rational thinking. In addition, Aristotle stressed the importance of justice and goodness,
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