2.

3. Xenia is well achieved in each story. Whenever the characters have the guest in their land, they serve some food or entertain the guest in some kind of way to amuse the guests.  For example, King Alcinous serves food and entertains Odysseus, even though he is a stranger.

Kelly C, Annette P, Katherine M, Monica T

“ It was out luck to come here; here we stand, beholden for your help, or any gifts you give-as custom to honor strangers” (257-258). Odysseus is requesting for hospitality from the Cyclops since it was customary in Ancient Greek culture.

“..the divine calypso placed before him victuals and drink of men; then she sat down facing Odysseus, while her serving maids brought nectar and ambrosia to her side” (95-98)

Calypso demonstrates xenia by preparing an elegant meal for Odysseus before he leaves her island after his seven year stay.

“Odysseus is found by the daughter of Alcinous, king of the Phaeacians. That evening he is a guest at the court… That night, at the banquet, the stranger who was washed up on the beach is seated in the guest’s place of honor” (895). King Alcinous generously throws a feast for Odysseus although he is a stranger. He seats Odysseus at his table and gifts him with food and a minstrel. He demonstrates Xenia because he shows great hospitality to the stranger, Odysseus. 

During Odysseus’s journey, Xenia is found sprinkled throughout his meetings. Calypso gives him many pleasures and feasts during his stay, demonstrating a prolonged act of Xenia. When Odysseus is found by King Alcinous’s daughter, they give him a feast. When trapped with the cyclops, Odysseus asks for Xenia only to be rejected. And finally, when the Witch Circe entices Odysseus’s men, she gives them lavish food, only to turn them into pigs. 

Calypso hinders Odysseus from coming home by holding him as a “not entirely unwilling captive” (introduction on page 891).  Although Odysseus is not entirely unwilling, Calypso still keeps him from continuing his journey home for 7 years. 

Circe appears to be a nice lady, but when Odysseus and his men approach her, she turns many of them into pigs. Odysseus protects himself from Circe’s sorcery, but she still “persuades Odysseus to stay with her” (913). He remains there by his own will for many seasons which delays his journey home.

The Sirens pose a large threat to Odysseus and his men.  The men end up having to lay wax “thick on their ears” (746) to keep them from hearing the sound of their voices.  Although the Sirens do not keep Odysseus and his men from reaching their home, they still have to take precautions against them. 

Scylla has six heads and twelve tentacles and is said to kill “one man for each gullet” (694). When the ship heads towards Scylla’s cliff, she eats six men as they pass.  Overall, Scylla poses a large threat to all the men and makes their journey home more difficult and deadly.

Charybdis forces the men to go past Scylla because if they came upon her even “the god who makes earth tremble could not save” (703) them.  Charybdis poses the threat to the men that ultimately forces them to battle Scylla.

All of the female characters are presented as powerful; however, some are more powerful than others. Calypso is mainly described to be beautiful and persuasive, whereas characters like Circe, the Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis are murderous. Circe and Calypso are both persuasive and keep Odysseus with them for many years.

Women were viewed by the greeks as much more powerful and capable than in many other societies.  While other societies would have written all the monsters to be men, as monsters are powerful and sometimes also cunning, the Greeks gave this role to both men and women.

"Calypso"- In the story, "Calypso", Xenia takes place when the beautiful goddess-nymph keeps Odysseus on her island and takes care for him and feeds him. All though Odysseus didn't long to stay, Xenia still took place because Calypso tried her best to make him feel happy and at home on the island with her. At first, the idea of Xenia failed in this case because Odysseus didn't want to stay and wanted to go home, but finally real Xenia was broadcast and given from Calypso when she not only allowed him to set sail to home, but helps him out, "Calypso promises Odysseus a raft and provisions to help him homeward without harm"(892).

"The Cyclops"-When entering the cave of Polyphemus, Odysseus relies on the expectation of hospitality and helps himself to food and shelter. When Polyphemus returns, however, we see that he does not follow the rules of Greek hospitality.  The reason he does not abide by these rules is because his father is the god Poseidon.  He does not fear the wrath of the gods because he feels his father will protect him. "Then over the broad cavern floor he ushered the ewes he meant to milk. He left his rams and he-goats in the yard outside, and swung high overhead a slab of solid rock to close the cave"(900). This quote shows how Odysseus and his men expected to be able to take over the cave and they assumed the cyclops would be okay with that. Xenia failed in this story, for it never took place. The cyclops returned and hollered, "You are a ninny, or else you come from the other end of nowhere, telling me mind the gods! We Cyclopes care not a whistle for your thundering Zeus or all the gods in bliss"(900).

"I Am Laertes Son"- "I shall not see on earth a place more dear, though I have been detained long by Calypso, loveliest among goddesses, who held me in her smooth caves, to be her heart's delight, as Circe of Aeaea, the enchantress, desired me, and detained me in her hall"(895). Xenia is shown and successful here because Odysseus was given shelter and pleasure.

“The witch Circe”-"Their the wind King Aeolus does Odysseus a favor he puts all the stormy winds into a bag so that they will not harm the ithacans"(911). Xenia is shown here because they are going to be protected by the storm.

McKenzie M and Kayla C

I am Laertes’ Son - “To the ancient people of Greece and Asia Minor, all guests were godsent. They had to be treated with great courtesy before they could be asked to identify themselves and state their business”(895) This courtesy meant a great deal to them, for if the gods were the guests, they would make sure to treat them nicely even if they did not know. By doing this, if ever a god were to survey them for a short while, they would see the good in that group of people in the city.

The Cyclops- Odysseus and his men are from Troy Achaeans. They entered the cave, they helped themselves to the food and drink they found there, and fell asleep.  After a time, a Cyclops, whose name was Polyphemus, returned to the cave.  Leading his flock of giant sheep into the cave he rolled a huge stone against the mouth of the cave to close the entrance.  On finding Odysseus and his men in the cave, the Cyclops became enraged, grabbed two of the men smashed their heads against the rocks, at them, and fell asleep.  Odysseus dared do nothing to the Cyclops since only the Cyclops was strong enough to move the stone away from the mouth of the cave.

The Witch Circe-MILTON >They greet them with the wine and the circe offers them a magic potion. They are not sure if Odysseus is a god dressed in disguise.  They do lots of stuff with them because they are not sure if they are gods of just regular mortals.going to attack them because if they are really gods they might be cursed forever and the curse will go over to the ancestors of them forever and EVER!!!!!!

      3.) How well is Xenia achieved in each story? Why or Why not?

Xenia is achieved by Calypso, the King, and the witch circe at the beginning by their welcoming matter at their first meet. But the cyclops does not care for this Xenia, for he believes he can destroy his guests and feed on them, in the form of Odysseus and his crew. With the Witch Circe, she represents Xenia at first by offering them wine, but turns those who drank the wine into pigs.