The Importance of Wealth

In the Odyssey, wealth and gold are a huge part of the culture. When Odysseus reaches a new island and meets the locals he is often offered a "guest gift" of gold and silver. Why do these rich kings give away their wealth, and what stops them from holding back? There are two main possibilities, one being that they are simply incredibly generous by nature, or the other reason is that it was an important part of hospitality and culture at the time.

The second idea makes more sense because down in the cities there are bound to be many poorer people who cannot afford rich lavish houses or belongings. If the kings are so generous, why would they let their people starve? When an important man like Odysseus arrives at a court, the king and his staff will do everything in their power to make him feel happy and at home, out of respect. Although the unspoken hospitality rules state that one must feed a guest first and then ask questions, when the visitor's true identity is revealed they are treated differently than before. For example, when Odysseus reveals himself to the Phaecians that he is "Odysseus sib if Laertes, known to the world for every kind of craft--my fame has reached the skies" he does not hesitate to boast a bit about his identity (212:21-22). This shows his want to be important to these people. Before he had revealed himself, Broadsea, one of the Phaecians had accused him of being a "skipper of profiteers roving the high seas in his scudding craft reckoning up his freight with a keen eye out for home-cargo, grabbing the gold he can!" (196:186-189). Broadsea clearly has a bad opinion of pirates, and is rude to Odysseus, but when Odysseus proves himself as an athlete, Broadsea is forced to eat his words. A wealthy king like Odysseus is welcomed far more kindly than a pirate.

The wealth shown by the host while providing hospitality to his guests is also very important. The guest gift is a key aspect of this facet of hospitality. When Odysseus asks Polyphemus for a guest gift and Polyphemus replies "I'll eat the others first! That's my gift to you" (223:414). In the eyes of the Greeks, this makes the Cyclops even more appalling than before, because he refuses to share his wealth with visitors. When Odysseus pokes the Cyclops' eye out he most likely felt that the monster deserved it.

These two examples provide a clear map of the importance of being kind to visitors and sharing your wealth with the strangers who come to your doors. Refusing to follow the code of hospitality and sharing can have disastrous results such as loss of an eye, but being kind to guests and giving them gifts can make them feel at home and they may have wonderful stories to tell.