Editing Odyssey (section)

=== Guest-friendship ===
[[File:3115 - Athens - Stoà of Attalus - Allegory of the Odyssey - Photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto, Nov 9 2009.jpg|thumb|Statue representing the ''Odyssey'', Museum of the [[Ancient Agora of Athens]].]]

Throughout the course of the epic, Odysseus encounters several examples of {{translit|grc|[[xenia (Greek)|xenia]]}} ('guest-friendship'), which provide models of how hosts should and should not act.{{sfn|Reece|1993|p={{page needed|date=July 2022}}}}{{sfn|Thornton|1970|pp=38–46}} The Phaeacians demonstrate exemplary guest-friendship by feeding Odysseus, giving him a place to sleep, and granting him many gifts and a safe voyage home, which are all things a good host should do. Polyphemus demonstrates poor guest-friendship. His only "gift" to Odysseus is that he will eat him last.{{sfn|Thornton|1970|pp=38–46}} Calypso also exemplifies poor guest-friendship because she does not allow Odysseus to leave her island.{{sfn|Thornton|1970|pp=38–46}} Another important factor to guest-friendship is that kingship implies generosity. It is assumed that a king has the means to be a generous host and is more generous with his own property.{{sfn|Thornton|1970|pp=38–46}} This is best seen when Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, begs Antinous, one of the suitors, for food and Antinous denies his request. Odysseus essentially says that while Antinous may look like a king, he is far from a king since he is not generous.{{sfn|Homer|1975|loc=17.415–444}}

According to J. B. Hainsworth, guest-friendship follows a very specific pattern:{{sfn|Hainsworth|1972|pp=320–321}}

# The arrival and the reception of the guest.
# Bathing or providing fresh clothes to the guest.
# Providing food and drink to the guest.
# Questions may be asked of the guest and entertainment should be provided by the host.
# The guest should be given a place to sleep, and both the guest and host retire for the night.
# The guest and host exchange gifts, the guest is granted a safe journey home, and the guest departs.

Another important factor of guest-friendship is not keeping the guest longer than they wish and also promising their safety while they are a guest within the host's home.{{sfn|Reece|1993|p={{page needed|date=July 2022}}}}{{sfn|Edwards|1992|pp=284–330}}