The Acceptance Of Greek Culture In Homer's Odyssey

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In Greek culture, it is a tradition to accept all vagabonds and provide them with the best foods, clothing, presents, entertainment, and other offerings available regardless of their features or identities. Various examples of this are shown throughout Homer’s book, The Odyssey, where Odysseus, a great hero, is searching for his way home to his family after the Trojan War. When Alkinoös, king of the Phaiákians, concludes the feast with Odysseus, the guest, he announces that “‘[our] banquet’s ended, so you may retire; but let our seniors gather … to give this guest a festal day, and make fair offerings to the gods. In due course we shall put our minds upon the means at hand to take him safely, comfortably, well and happily … to his own country,…show more content…
You’re a wanderer too. You must eat …, drink some wine, and tell me where you are from and the hard times you’ve seen.’ The forester now led him to his hut and made a couch for him, with tips of fir piled for a mattress under a wild goat skin, shaggy and thick, his own bed covering. … ‘All wanderers and beggars come from Zeus. What we can give is slight but well-meant-all we dare’” (14. 53-59, 70-71). Eumaios invites the strange vagabond into his cabin and sets up a comfortable place to rest made up of his own bed. Even though he has very little to offer, Eumaios attempts to follow Greek culture by offering the most he can, in this case, a comfortable place to…show more content…
No chance: he learned his dodges long ago … He’d rather tramp the country begging, to keep his hoggish belly full’ … And like a drunken fool he kicked at Odysseus’ hip as he passed by” (17. 285-291,297-298). Melánthios insults Odysseus and tries to take advantage of his current position as a old man while managing to assault him as he passes by. He does the exact opposite of what should have been an invite to a feast or to relax as stated in the standard protocols of Greek
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