or  one  who  had  unintentionally  committed  homicide  and  needed
expiation.  Unbidden,  he  would  make  his  way  into  the  house,
and  take  his  seat  at  the  altar  of  Zeus  'EpKeto?  in  the  hall  of
the  mansion ;  or  he  would  approach  the  house  bearing  in  his
hand  the  emblems  of  a  god.  Thus  Chryses  holds  in  his  hands,
as  he  approaches  the  Greek  camp,^  the  fillets  of  far-darting
Apollo.  If  the  stranger  was  not  in  dire  distress,  but  merely
voyaging  for  purposes  of  his  own,  he  was  received  as  a  ^€lvo<s
with  the  most  splendid  hospitality.  He  was  washed  by  the
ladies  of  the  house,  and  invited  to  a  banquet  in  the  hall  of
the  ava^,  and  only  when  he  had  well  eaten  and  drunk  was  he
asked  his  name  and  his  business.  The  host  bestowed  on  the
guest  the  best  of  all  he  had,  and  when  he  left,  loaded  him  with

1  Od  vi.  207.  2  ji  I  j^^


TRAVELLING  337

rich  presents.  In  return,  the  guest  bore  an  endless  gratitude  to
the  host,  and  even  if  they  met  in  the  battle-field  would  not
injure  him.  Odysseus  declines  to  contend  even  in  sport  with
the  son  of  his  host  Alcinoiis.  The  beggar  (ttt^x^?)  who  led  a
wandering  life  was  free  to  eat  the  broken  meats  in  the  hall  of
any  noble,  and  to  sleep  in  the  aWovcra;  but  he  was  of  course
not  treated  as  an  equal.
Those  who  did  not  belong  either  to  the  great  families  or  to
the  class  of  vagrants  probably  voyaj^ed  but  little.  Commerce
was  scarcely  born :  such  import  trade  as  existed  was  in  Phoe-
nician hands,  and  slaves  were  the  chief  article  of  export.
