Hospitality

In book one: Athena Inspires the Prince, Greek hospitality is introduced specifically on page 81. “Greetings, stranger! / Here in our house you’ll find a royal welcome./ Have super first, then tell us what you need.”(1:144-146) In this quote it gives the reader a good idea about how a person in this time period is going to be treated when they are to enter a house of someone they have never met. The significance of this quote is that Prince Telemachus is meeting a complete stranger and he offers him food and he welcomes him into his home before he interrogates this complete stranger. It is obvious that the man welcoming in Telemachus wants him to be able to feel right at home before he asks what he is doing at his home. “Help yourselves to food and welcome! Once you’ve dined we’ll ask you who you are”(4:68-69). It is obvious that Greek hospitality involves making the guest or stranger feel at home by feeding them and making them feel comfortable before they ask who the person is or why they have come there.

Ellye