Xenia in The Odyssey and the Bible

Presented by Upper School, Grades 7-12

In The Odyssey, xenia, or Greek hospitality, was the sacred code of generosity and respect shown between a host and a guest, especially toward strangers or travelers. In the ancient Greek world, travel was dangerous. There were no hotels or restaurants the way we have today. Travelers depended on the kindness of strangers. Hosts were expected to welcome visitors, offer food, shelter, and gifts before asking their identity, while guests were expected to show gratitude and behave respectfully in return. Because of this, hospitality became a sacred practice. If you welcomed a stranger kindly, you honored the gods. If you mistreated a guest, you offended the gods. This relationship was not merely polite custom but a moral and religious duty, because strangers may be under the protection of Zeus.

Throughout The Odyssey, we see examples of both good and bad hospitality, or xenia.

One of the best examples comes when the hero Odysseus arrives in the land of the Phaeacians. The princess Nausicaa finds him shipwrecked and alone. Instead of ignoring him or treating him with suspicion, she shows kindness. She makes sure he is clothed, fed, and brought safely to her parents’ palace. Her family then welcomes Odysseus, listens to his story, gives him gifts, all before they even know his name! Eventually, they use their gifts to help him resume his journey home. This is xenia done right—generosity toward a stranger in need.

Later in the poem, we see the same kind of xenia given in much humbler circumstances. When Odysseus first lands in Ithaca after 20 years of war and tragedy, he is welcomed, fed, and cared for by a loyal swineherd named Eumaeus. Odysseus is disguised so that good Eumaeus, a former servant of Odysseus, does not recognize his beloved master. Even though he has few material goods to share, Eumaeus gives generously and protects the stranger in his home.

Meanwhile, at Odysseus’s home in Ithaca, many men, called suitors, have taken over his house. They are supposed to be guests, but instead they violate the requirements of hospitality. They eat Odysseus’s food, drink his wine, and demand to marry his wife, Penelope. They also mock and plot to kill his son, Telemachus. For almost four years the suitors camp out at Odysseus’s house, acting entitled to Odysseus’s resources and feeling justified in doing so. Rather than showing gratitude as guests, the suitors behave like thieves. The suitors terribly abuse the sacred duties of xenia.

So why does this matter to us today?

Even though we may not use the Greek word xenia, the idea should sound familiar. In the Bible we are also commanded to show hospitality. Scripture tells us to welcome strangers and care for those in need. In Deuteronomy 10:12-13; 18-19 we read:

12 And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

13 To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? For the Lord your God is God of gods which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:

18 He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.

19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Jesus referred specifically to this passage when teaching the questioning lawyer about who his neighbor is in the parable we call “The Good Samaritan,” found in Luke 10:25-37.

The Samaritan, who was a stranger in a strange land, offers xenia- love, food, shelter, protection, mercy- to the traveler, not because the traveler was anything special. Rather, the Samaritan recognized what the law required, and acted on the goodness of the Samaritan’s own heart, comforting one who stood in need of comfort.

Both the ancient Greek and Christian tradition recognized something important: how we treat others—especially those who are vulnerable—reveals our character. Treating others as our neighbor, living xenia, is much less about the status of the person we are serving, and much more about the status of our own heart. To whom much is given, much is required.

Christ, the ultimate example of xenia, provides us, as strangers on earth, with food, shelter, love, protection, healing, and mercy on our journey home.

So as we read classic Greek epics like The Odyssey, we can aspire to the perseverance and tenacity of Odysseus. But as Christians we can also remember this: heroism is not always about deeds. It can be something much simpler—and something every one of us can practice.

It is xenia: the virtue of welcoming the stranger.

By Mrs. Cortney Carman

Director of Curriculum

Following this historical thought, the Lower and Primary School presented the poem "Wearing of the Green" by Aileen Fisher.

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This historical thought was delivered by our Upper School students at devotional on 3/12/2026. Each week one class leads the student body in prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, scripture recitation, a meditation, and an historical thought. Belmont family and friends are welcome, Thursdays 8:30-9:05 am.

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