Grekland xenia
Xenia in Greece was a concept that was upheld by the Greek god Zeus and failure to comply led to severe punishment. It was even the cause of the Trojan war!.
How And Why Was Xenia Important In Ancient Greece
W hile xenia may be a concept that has deep roots in ancient Greece , even travellers today note the warmth and generosity felt by those who welcome them with open arms when they holiday in Greece. A meal will be served in your honor, and you will sleep between the best sheets in the house. In Crete, the stranger is still the unknown god. As well as referring to his Cretan experience in Greece, Kazantzakis also nods to the ancient concept of xenia.
It is also known as philoxenia, meaning a love of strangers or foreigners and a desire to show them hospitality. In antiquity, it was expected that one would always be hospitable to travellers. In ancient Greece, in order to be a gracious host and comply to the concept of xenia there were some rules that needed to be followed. The host must not only offer the stranger food and drink but also a bath and fresh clothes.
They were also obliged to entertain them and ask no questions until the guest was settled. They were also expected to help the guest with directions to their next destination. In this way, they were likely to be rewarded for their kindness or punished for their lack of. Because remember Zeus has eyes everywhere…. You have probably heard of the Greek god Zeus , but what you might not know is that he was also known as Zeus Xenios.
As well as being the god of lightning and thunder he was also the god of foreigners and hospitality. He ensured that they were looked after. Baucis and Philemon were an elderly couple from the ancient region of Tyana.
The Laws of Xenia: Greece’s Famous Hospitality
Realising who they were, she told her husband who even considered slaughtering their goose! Zeus rewarded the pair for their wonderful hospitality by turning their home into a temple. The Trojan War is no doubt one of the most well known stories in Greek mythology. It was a battle that waged for 10 whole years. It involved the Greek gods, the Greek heroes and everyday people. But if you trace back the origins of its beginnings you will find that this war started over a violation of xenia.
Paris was the son of the king of Troy, Priam, and he seriously violated the hospitality of Menelaus. Menelaus was the king of Sparta and Paris ran off with his wife Helen! Because this act of betrayal was a failure to uphold the morals of Zeus, retribution had to be sort and so ensued the long and violent savagery of the Trojan war. The story follows the Greek hero Odysseus on his journey home to the Greek island of Ithaka after the war.
He has a number of encounters on his journey home, some show him hospitality, but others do not and it deals with the resulting consequences. When travelling you often find yourself wondering what stories lie behind an unfamiliar face. The staunch faces, friendly faces, weathered faces, and bright young faces. These stories lie behind a mysterious veil. But in Greece, all it takes is a smile to allude to the stories and wisdom that these people hold.
A smile that embodies a special kind of hospitality, a universal kindness, a kindness that transcends all words and any culture.
In this way, the ancient roots of xenia in Greece are still felt today, even after thousands of years. For assistance in organizing your trip to Greece, feel free to contact us via email or click the link below to arrange a complimentary consultation. If you decide to book something through one of them, I might get a little bonus, but it won't cost you anything extra. One trip can last a lifetime.
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