Hospitality

They reached out for the good things that lay at hand
and when they had put aside desire for food and drink,
Ajax nodded to Phoenix.

In Book 9 of The Iliad, in the midst of a battle in which the Greek forces have suffered their worst losses, sharing a meal takes precedence over resolving conflict. Sitting and eating together can reduce tension and encourage conversation--after all, Socrates engaged his fellows at banquet--and I am most interested in how creating a more intimate setting for my classics students might engender greater enthusiasm for and deeper understanding of the literature.
The first time I read The Odyssey as an adult, I was struck by the consistent references to and ritualized nature of eating.  This resonated because food has always been an important element in my family and other relationships.  Holidays still revolve around food--more of it in the past than present and I cringe when remembering how much we consumed in the celebration of Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays and anniversaries.  No matter the financial constraints or feuding family members, the feasts were sacrosanct.

In The Odyssey, all conversation and inquiry must wait until the food has been served.  Neither Nestor nor Menelaus inquire as to Telemachos' identity before sacrificing the oxen, making offerings to the gods, then serving the meat with bread and wine.  The "breaking of bread" has had a long tradition and the hearth fire was the primary concern when setting up a new community.  The hearth fire, or hestia--named for the goddess--was brought from the town from which the Greeks migrated and a central fire supplied the new town.  This reverence even extended into batte, where the military leaders would bring coals from their home hearths into the encampments.  This makes particular sense in a tangential way, as Hestia, the goddess, embodied by her hearthfire, is also representative of the funeral pyre that was also so carefully tended.  Shaped like the earth and raked into a mound to keep the embers alive, the hestia fire juxtaposes birth and death, the most elemental aspects of life.  The innumerable funeral pyres are what forces Agamemnon to send Odysseus with an offer of amends to Achilles. 

The above passage above from The Iliad preceeds Odysseus' plea to Achilles to rejoin his comrads in battle before they are all slaughtered or retreat in shame to their black-hulled ships.  Although Achilles is aware of Odysseus' intentions and that he will not yield his ego to Agamemnon's, he prepares the feast and does not entertain the offer until all parties have been satisfied.  It is difficult to remain hostile in this situation. 

As for my students, I have always subscribed to the concept that "if you feed them, they will come."  I learned this from my mentor, Vicky Willson, and it is true.  A box of graham crackers, crate of clementines, or any nourishment, no matter how seemingly trivial, builds a bond among the group.  In 2004-2005, I was blessed with the most wonderful class of 14 students and rarely did a period go by without a meal.  They kept a drawer filled with their favorite treats and as we shared food and ideas we nourished our bodies, our minds, and, through the sheer act of sharing, our souls.  The ones who've stayed in touch--Meera, John, Joey, Sarah and Judah--have all expressed the impact of our unconventional classroom on their ability to think creativly and to engage with others. 

At the conclusion of the meal Achilles serves Odysseus, the contentious issue at hand is debated; despite the gathering's convivial nature Achilles' anger and resentment rule the moment.  Yet when Odysseus later meets with Achilles in Book XI of The Odyssey, there is no residual conflict between these two men who had differnt priorities in another place and time.  This time, Odysseus takes to heart Achilles' admonition that he'd "rather be a slave on earth for another man--/some dirt poor tenant farmer who scrapes to keep alive--/than rule down here over all the breathless dead."

I would like to think that despite conflicts among individuals, the repeated offering of hospitality will bring us closer together, enabling the shared nourishment of our bodies, minds and souls, to lead us to take risks that unlock new levels of understanding.  These are the memories that can last a lifetime.