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Greek Culture

            As modern society continues to evolve and improve it's self, many new ideals surface and slightly change culture. As our culture slowly changes it still revolves around the basic cultural norms that humankind has established centuries ago. Many of today's cultural rules have come from Greek back rounds that have been modified to fit the 21st century. In Homer's epic The Odyssey, we get a glimpse of ancient Greek culture and find many cultural roots similar to modern day rules. In Greek customs we find treating a guest with the up most respect is crucial and telling of far away lands with mystical creatures to keep the mind occupied.
             As the epic begins one of the very first rules of Greek culture appears in Odysseus's encounter with the Cyclopes where he makes himself at home in a cave belonging to a Cyclopes. Odysseus enters his host's cave taking for granted that his host will be most hospitable. When Cyclopes and Odysseus meet, Odysseus comes forth and introduces himself and hints toward Cyclopes the custom of treating guests, " beholden for your help / as custom is to honor strangers / for the gods" courtesy; Zeus will avenge / the unoffending guest" (212 - 216). Cyclopes treats Odysseus and his men like dirt and he violates the great cultural rule. In modern society this somewhat represents "The First Impression" ideal where a guests receives his/her impression of the host and greatly reflects the future relationship. Instead of a god taking action when a guest is offended, the guest would decide to look down at the host and shame would be the punishment for the host. When a guest is offended he/she will also most likely inform their friends of the host's bad treatment and without guests a host is no longer a respected guest himself. Odysseus here speaks after Cyclopes uncivil behavior, " a bloody monster! After this, / will any other traveler come to see you?" (301 - 302).


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