In the epic of The Odyssey, Homer explores a variety of different themes that heavily influence Odysseus" quest to return home and re-claim his throne as the rightful King. These themes are prevalent throughout the story and they significantly affect the fate of the entire Greek kingdom that Homer portrays. Equally as important, they reflect the dominance of these traditions in the Greek culture during the classic time period. While there were numerous themes in the epic, the role of hospitality was one of the most prominent. Throughout the story, Homer depicts scenarios in which hospitality, both on the part of the guest and the host, plays a key role in the events that transpire. The welcoming of visitors was regarded as the highest form of respect and was applicable to everyone, regardless of social status. While Odysseus and his men struggle to return home from the Trojan War, they are forced to overcome many obstacles and the help and hospitality that they receive along the way is critical to the outcome of their quest. Telemachus, Odysseus" son, also benefits from the hospitality of others as he struggles to maintain order in his father's household while still conducting himself as an honorable leader in Ithaca. Displaying xenia in this society was the only accepted code of moral conduct and was regarded as the golden rule of civility. In the insecure world of The Odyssey, hospitality, or lack of it in some cases, prove to be essential to not only Odysseus" return to Ithaca, but to the welfare of all members of Homer"s world.
A substantial amount of the societies that Odysseus and his men come across during their travels offer great hospitality and kindness. Odysseus and his men are able to determine the civility of civilizations by the amount of welcome and generosity that they are offered, thus avoiding many conflicts and being prepared to protect themselves. Other generous gift givers are the Phaeacians who give Odysseus many valuable gifts, such as ".