Back when the Odyssey was first composed, xenia seemed to be a very important concept and way of life for the ancient Greeks. Xenia was an ancient Greek tradition of hospitality that consisted of a host-guest ritual, which followed a series of steps and a permanent, unplanned agreement of friendship between strangers. In the first four books of the Odyssey, or the Telemachy, xenia is seen to influence how people interact with each other in every situation where people greet each other. Although xenia is sacred and considered one of Zeus' laws, there are still cases where it is broken, however this does not go unnoticed by the gods. Xenia also has a great impact on Telemachus' maturation. In Telemachy the concept of xenia is a central theme that greatly influences Telemachus and many, but not all, of his activities. The host-guest ritual is one that Telemachus and many of the people he meets follow. Both the host and the guest have important roles that they have to play. The host begins by receiving the guest, daydreaming so, as he sat among the suitors, he caught a glimpse of Athena and went straight to the porch, mortified that a guest could still be standing at the door. Stopping nearby, he hugged her. right and immediately taking away the long bronze spear, he came towards her with winged words: "Hello, stranger! Here in our house you will find a royal welcome. First dinner, then tell us what you need." (Homer I:138-145). Here we see that if the Greeks had a guest before asking questions or anything, the guest was offered dinner and in many cases a bath. Telemachus is shocked that he did not notice a visitor and was not immediately at his service. When the guest has finished his or...... middle of paper ......and in ancient Greek culture this is demonstrated by how closely Telemachus and everyone he meets follows him. Although Xenia is very important, both the nymph Calypso who holds Odysseus captive, and Penelope's suitors who burden Telemachus, break most of the basic laws, but this does not go unnoticed by the gods. Xenia was a very important part of Telemachus' life, but she is not what gave him confidence in the host-guest ritual or what helped him mature. It's a shame that this host-guest relationship has been lost over the years, it makes the bonds between people much stronger, much more than the ones we have today. Despite a select number of people breaking the xenia laws, it is still a very unique and important cultural tradition and would have a great impact on today's world if we still practiced it today. Works Cited The Odyssey