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xenia
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Statue of Zeus
Statue of Zeus Zeus, the chief deity in the Greek pantheon, was also the enforcer of the ancient custom of hospitality.

xenia

ancient Greek custom
Also known as: guest-friendship, ritualized friendship
Written by
Gitanjali Roy
Gitanjali Roy is deputy managing editor, Encyclopaedia Britannica. She has over two decades of editorial experience across digital and broadcast media.
Gitanjali Roy
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

xenia, ancient Greek custom of hospitality, regarded as a sacred duty and inviolable moral code. Xenia was a vital component in ancient Greek civilization’s social structure as well as in its political and economic matrix. It was necessitated by the fragmented nature of ancient Greece as a collection of city-states and island kingdoms, and it played an essential role in diplomacy and trade relations. The concept of xenia demanded that food, shelter, and protection be...

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