Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Xenia in the Telemachy. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 4 page research paper/essay that discusses the custom of xenia (hospitality) in Homer's Odyssey, focusing on the first four books, which are known as the Telemachy. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Page Count:
4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: KL9_khxenia.doc
Buy This Term Paper »
Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
course of his own journey, Telemachus is tested and proves himself a hero capable of aiding his father in sweeping their home clean of the rapacious suitors who have abused
the boundaries of Greek hospitality ("xenia"). While the behavior of the suitors appears to provide an argument that the hospitality custom is not an effective institution for maintaining social order,
the examples in the Telemachy substantiate that custom as legitimate and effective, as does the dramatic conclusion of the poem when Odysseus, aided by Telemachus, restore order, making clear that
the suitors violation of xenia is grievous crime that is not to be tolerated. As this suggests, the conventions associated with Greek hospitality were quite strict. The guest-friendship relationship
was formalized through clasping hands, sharing food together and the exchange of gifts, especially in regards to those gifts offered by the host (Thorburn 370). It was considered insulting to
the host to demand what was not offered, but, likewise, it was also considered an insult to refuse what was offered (Thorburn 370). The obligation to offer hospitality was so
extreme that even if the guest is a stranger arriving at an moment that is not convenient for the host, it was considered disgraceful if the traveler was not welcomed
(Thorburn 370). This is the custom that plays a prominent role throughout the Telemachy and the Odyssey as a whole. The Telemachy, in many ways, parallels the wanderings of
Odysseus; therefore, the dominant theme of hospitality in the narrative focusing on Odysseus is, likewise, present in the scenes focusing on Telemachus (Louden 31). In Book 2, Telemachus tries to
assert his authority as the man of the house, demanding that the suitors who are courting his mother Penelope should leave. "I be a weakling and all unskilled in prowess"
...