The Odyssey: Exploring Our Social Roots In modern Western society we are a people who have been taught from an early age that good manners and strong morality are necessary. The idea that the good will prosper and the bad will get what they deserve is widely accepted and applauded. However, these ideas about the social rules of “modern civilized man” are not so new. This same system of social behavior and belief is displayed throughout the epic poem, The Odyssey. In this epic we find the roots of our contemporary social actions and beliefs exposed in important ways. Throughout this epic there are many examples to distinguish those who are civilized, who abide by social customs, and those who do not. A major form of behavior during this period was the customary practice of civilians of inviting a guest to feast without prior inquiry into his commission. We encounter this social rule from Telemachus' first encounter with his mother's suitors at a house party. An unidentified guest arrives and is ignored by the suitors. However, the polite Telemachus promptly invites the guest to join them in the banquet; he is annoyed that their guest was kept waiting and is also embarrassed and apologetic for the suitor's boorish behavior. This same practice is repeated throughout the poem and is contrasted again when Odysseus and some of his crew arrive at the Cyclops' island. The men indulge in an unguarded cave whose owner is the Cyclops Polyphemus. Upon arriving at the home of the uncivilized Cyclops, he eats some of the men and traps the rest. Clearly, the social intuition of good manners plays a silent and strong role. As Horace Mann said: "Good manners mature easily and quickly in m... middle of paper... good, and in the idea that good always triumphs over evil. We can easily witness the sprouting of the roots of the current rules of society". during this period of time. Such reflection and insight allow us to connect in a way we perhaps wouldn't normally have, with one of our modern culture's leaders in morality and good manners. Works by CitiedDimock, George E. The Unity of the Odyssey By Massachusetts Press: Amherst, 1989.Bloom, Harold, ed. Homer's Odyssey Chelsea House Publishers: New York, 1988.Lawall, Sarah, ed. "The Odyssey" by Robert Fitzgerald World Masterpieces. WW Norton & Company, Inc.: New York, London, 1999. 209-514Cyber ​​Nation Home Page 2000. Cyber ​​Nation International Inc.< http://www.cyber-nation.com/victory/quotations/subjects . /quotes_manners.html>.