The Odyssey blog 2

On his journey, Telemachus received hospitality from Menelaus, the red haired King. His hospitality was nothing short of grand. They were bathed, clothed and given a grand feast by the king, despite the fact that there was a wedding party beforehand. The king obviously wasted no time in providing the best for his guests, even when short on supplies. If we use Menelaus’ hospitality for comparison, the hospitality of Nausicaa and Alcinous completely blew Menelaus out of the water. Odysseus was bathed clothed, given multiple feasts, had a divine bard sing at his meals, was given quarters, an opportunity to witness a sports tournament and the Phaeacian king even offered his daughter’s hand in marriage. Menelaus was extremely kind, he allowed the travelers to eat and stay at his home despite not knowing who they were, but  Nausicaa and Alcinous, having more power than Menelaus, had more to offer.