HOSPITALITY. The word hospitality is a translation of the Latin noun hospitium (or the adjective hospitalis), which in turn derives from hospes, meaning both "guest" and "host." Behind this double connotation is the Greek concept of the xenos, the stranger who receives a welcome or, less frequently, acts as a welcomer of others. A great many cultures attach religious and ethical value to the establishment of friendly exchanges between those who view one another as different—in rank, race, or tribe—and, therefore, potentially dangerous. In order to provide a focus for interpreting the diverse traditions that relate to this subject, the present entry concentrates upon the prescribed behaviors for guests and hosts, particularly at meals, and the reasons (whether stated or implied) for these mores.

Pictures of hospitality abound in the Iliad and the Odyssey. Indeed, the practice of hospitality can be perceived as a cardinal virtue...