(; ) is a word used in the

Greek language Greek (, ; , ) is an Indo-European languages, Indo-European language, constituting an independent Hellenic languages, Hellenic branch within the Indo-European language family. It is native to Greece, Cyprus, Italy (in Calabria and Salento), south ...

from

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

onwards. The most standard definition is 'stranger'. However, the word itself can be interpreted to mean different things based upon context, author and period of writing/speaking, signifying such divergent concepts as 'enemy' or 'stranger', a particular hostile interpretation, all the way to 'guest friend', one of the most hallowed concepts in the cultural rules of Greek

hospitality Hospitality is the relationship of a host towards a guest, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill and welcome. This includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, ...

Meanings

can be translated both to ' foreigner' (in the sense of a person from another Greek state) and to a foreigner or traveler brought into a relationship of long-distance

friendship Friendship is a Interpersonal relationship, relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. Althoug ...

. ' can also be used simply to assert that someone is not a member of one's community, that is, simply a foreigner and with no implication of reciprocity or relationship. ' generally refers to the variety of what a particular individual can be, specifically guest, host, stranger, friend, and, as previously mentioned, foreigner. The ambiguity of the meaning of is not a modern misunderstanding, but was, in fact, present in ancient Greece.

Sophocles Sophocles ( 497/496 – winter 406/405 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. was an ancient Greek tragedian known as one of three from whom at least two plays have survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those ...

uses the vagueness of the word ' in his tragedy '' Philoctetes'', with Neoptolemus using the word exclusively for Philoctetes to indicate the uncertain relationship between the two characters. ' can be used to refer to guest-friends whose relationship is constructed under the ritual of ('guest-friendship'). In this usage it is commonly translated as 'guest-friend' to distinguish it from the Greek word , which was used to refer to local friends and to relatives not strictly bound by . The Greeks used this ambiguity because they thought strangers could be gods or goddesses in disguise, so they were always kind and respectful to strangers, because if it was a god, they could be blessed by that god or goddess.

References

Ancient Greece Greek words and phrases {{AncientGreek-lang-stub

Meanings

See also

References