Sacred hospitality and guest-friendship is represented by which term?

Study for the American Literature TISKs Exam. Use flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam with confidence!

Multiple Choice

Sacred hospitality and guest-friendship is represented by which term?

Explanation:
Xenia is the ancient Greek practice of sacred hospitality and guest-friendship, a bond thought to be protected by Zeus Xenios. It calls on the host to provide shelter, food, and safety to a guest, while the guest must be respectful and reciprocate the hospitality, often with a gift or gesture of thanks. This is the best fit because it directly names the ritualized, divine-tinged obligation around welcoming strangers, a theme central to Homeric stories. Nostos refers to homecoming, Arete to virtue or excellence, and Pietas is a Roman value of duty and piety, so they describe different ideas rather than the specific hospitality code.

Xenia is the ancient Greek practice of sacred hospitality and guest-friendship, a bond thought to be protected by Zeus Xenios. It calls on the host to provide shelter, food, and safety to a guest, while the guest must be respectful and reciprocate the hospitality, often with a gift or gesture of thanks. This is the best fit because it directly names the ritualized, divine-tinged obligation around welcoming strangers, a theme central to Homeric stories. Nostos refers to homecoming, Arete to virtue or excellence, and Pietas is a Roman value of duty and piety, so they describe different ideas rather than the specific hospitality code.

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