At the time the Odyssey was first composed, xenia seemed to be a very important concept and way of life to 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 Telemachy, Xenia affects the way people interact with each other in every situation where people greet each other. Although xenia is sacred and considered one of Zeus's laws, there are still instances where it is broken, but this does not go unnoticed by the gods. Xenia also has a significant 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 people he meets follow. Both the guest and the host have an important role to play. The host begins by receiving the guest, daydreaming as he sat among the suitors, he caught sight of Athena now and headed straight to the porch, mortified that a guest could still be standing at the door. Stopping there next to her, he hugged her. with his right hand, and immediately relieving her with his long bronze spear, he met her with winged words: “Greetings, stranger! Here in our house you will find a royal welcome. Eat dinner first, then tell us what you need. (Homer I: 138-145). We see here that if the Greeks had a guest before asking questions or anything, the guest would be offered dinner and, in many cases, a bath. Telemachus is shocked not to have noticed a visitor and not to be immediately at his service. When the guest has finished his or...... middle of paper ......e in ancient Greek culture, as demonstrated by the closeness with which Telemachus and almost everyone he meets follows him . Although Xenia is very important, both the nymph Calypso who holds Odysseus captive and Penelope's suitors who charge Telemachus break most of the fundamental laws, but this does not go unnoticed by the gods. Xenia played a very important role in Telemachus' life, but it was not what gave him confidence in the host-guest ritual nor what helped him mature. It's a shame that this host-guest relationship has been lost over the years, it creates much stronger bonds between people, much more than today. Although a number of people break 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