Greek Customs In The Odyssey
The ancient Greeks had many customs that were valued throughout the land and were depicted in many of their myths like The Odyssey and The Iliad. The Greeks followed many different customs like honoring the gods and the guest host relationship. The guest-host relationship, which everyone practiced in Greece, explains how everyone should be treated with respect, no matter who they end up staying with or where they end up staying. Greek customs were highly respected and if followed diligently, one could be rewarded, but it could also be very detrimental if someone were to not follow these customs. All hosts were expected to let everybody into their homes with open arms and treat them as well as they could to the best of their abilities and
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Telemachus’ house is overrun by suitors trying to marry his mother, Penelope, since Odysseus has been gone for years and is presumed dead by almost everybody. The suitors embody what it means to be an awful guests and “feed on another’s goods and go scot-free” (Homer 1.187). They all make fun of their host and have intruded on their space for years on end trying to marry Odysseus’s wife while consuming all of Telemachus’ food and drink. All of the suitors were punished my Odysseus and Telemachus when “Odysseus aimed and shot Antinous square in the throat” (Homer 22.15) which started the blood bath. Odysseus and Telemachus got help from the gods to rid their home of the suitors. Because of their bad behavior they get punished by the gods. This also happened on Odysseus’ journey when he landed on the island of the cyclops and met Polyphemus. When Odysseus asked him to be hospitable towards him and his men, the cyclops replied by saying “you must be a fool, stranger, or come from nowhere,/ telling me to fear the gods or avoid their wrath!” (Homer 9.307-308). Polyphemus, one of the worst hosts in The Odyssey, started eating Odysseus’ shipmates and locked them in his cave when he caught them stealing some of his cheese. Odysseus wanted to kill him then and there but wouldn’t be able to get out of the cave, so he soon came up with the plan to get him and
Telemachus’ house is overrun by suitors trying to marry his mother, Penelope, since Odysseus has been gone for years and is presumed dead by almost everybody. The suitors embody what it means to be an awful guests and “feed on another’s goods and go scot-free” (Homer 1.187). They all make fun of their host and have intruded on their space for years on end trying to marry Odysseus’s wife while consuming all of Telemachus’ food and drink. All of the suitors were punished my Odysseus and Telemachus when “Odysseus aimed and shot Antinous square in the throat” (Homer 22.15) which started the blood bath. Odysseus and Telemachus got help from the gods to rid their home of the suitors. Because of their bad behavior they get punished by the gods. This also happened on Odysseus’ journey when he landed on the island of the cyclops and met Polyphemus. When Odysseus asked him to be hospitable towards him and his men, the cyclops replied by saying “you must be a fool, stranger, or come from nowhere,/ telling me to fear the gods or avoid their wrath!” (Homer 9.307-308). Polyphemus, one of the worst hosts in The Odyssey, started eating Odysseus’ shipmates and locked them in his cave when he caught them stealing some of his cheese. Odysseus wanted to kill him then and there but wouldn’t be able to get out of the cave, so he soon came up with the plan to get him and