Xenia
conceptΞενία
Sacred law of hospitality
Xenia was the sacred obligation to shelter any stranger, enforced by Zeus Xenios.
The Myth
Paris violated it by stealing Helen, causing the Trojan War. Polyphemus violated it by eating Odysseus's men. The suitors violated it in Ithaca. The entire Odyssey judges societies by how they treat strangers.
Parents
A divine institution
Children
N/A
Symbols
thresholdwine bowlguest giftsZeus Xenios
Fun Fact
The Trojan War was caused by a violation of xenia — the most consequential breach of etiquette in Western literature.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth: