The Odyssey: Books 15-18

Xenia, or hospitality, is shown very differently by characters Nestor and Telemachus in books 15 and 16. While Nestor insists that Telemachus stay and feast with him before returning to Ithaca, Telemachus refuses the offer for celebration as he is eager to return home.

Nestor’s display of Xenia tells me that he is a humble man who follows social protocol. Telemachus resembles his father through his refusal to stay in Pylos any longer and with his urgency to return home–which is understandable.

Telemachus makes up for this by displaying Xenia through his warm welcome of Theoclymenus on to his ship, despite his urgency to get home.

In Book 17, we are shown an extreme example of a character who completely rejects the concept of Xenia. Antinous disgusts even the other suitors with his abuse of the old, begging, and disguised Odysseus. Antinous doesn’t hide his disgust of Odysseus’ low, social class and physically assaults him.

The others give Odysseus food and display Xenia: a concept that seems to be practiced by people of all social classes but still, Antinous completely rejects this: “Antinous, highborn as you are . . . that was a mean low speech!’” [17.417–419]

Unlike Kleos and Nostos, Xenia is something that all characters are capable of doing and making apart of their story/path. Homer makes it a point to blatantly show the good and bad in people: through their acceptance of rejection to display Xenia to others.