In the mouths of Ulysses, Telemachus, his son, or even Penelope, his wife, the “law of Zeus” is the basis Odyssey Christopher Nolan. In this film adaptation of Homer’s poem, the oldest known text in Greek literature, Iliad – the expression means, among other things, the duty of hospitality. That is, greet the person who knocks on your door, offering him room and board.
In the film, this “law of Zeus” is present from the first minutes, in the house of Ulysses (played by Matt Damon), on the island of Ithaca. Eager to marry Penelope (Anne Hattaway) in the absence of their king, the suitors (including Antinos, played by Robert Pattinson) abuse her residence and impose their unhealthy presence. Some are also hostile to accepting beggars, breaking divine law, and increasing tensions with the family’s son (Tom Holland).
The key to reading Christopher Nolan’s feature film is that the Law of Zeus is also found in the work from which it is inspired, and is encapsulated in a crucial concept of Greek culture: Xenia.
Welcoming foreigners into the heart of the Greek world
This Greek noun means hospitality; the adjective “xenos” denotes both a foreigner and a host. “Although the two words are different in our vocabulary, the Greeks have only one word that clearly means that a stranger should be welcomed,” explains Vincian Pirenne-Delforge, a historian of ancient Greece and professor at the Collège de France.
To avoid anachronism, Xenia should be considered “on the scale of these micro-societies that are Greek cities, with a common culture, language and traditions.” A foreigner does not necessarily come from afar; he may be Greek, but from another city.
The idea of hospitality, attested since the Homeric epic, is “fundamental” in the society where these poems are read, points out historian, notably co-author Gabriella Pironti Hera Zeus. Intimate enemy, constant wife (published by Les Belles Lettres).
“In the Greek worldview, several principles truly underlie civilized life: honoring the gods, caring for parents, and welcoming strangers,” explains Vincian Pirenne-Delforge. Anyone who violates these principles risks severe social stigmatization, as well as incurring the wrath of the gods.
“Recipes of Zeus.”
In his film, Christopher Nolan does not use the Greek term, but prefers the expression “law of Zeus.” “This is correct and clearly visible, because Xenia “This is truly a divine law,” comments the historian.
She elaborates: “This is Zeus – the god geniuses par excellence, namely the god of hospitality, the one who protects guests. If you do not accept a guest or violate the principles Xeniahow grooms do it Odysseyyou are going against the orders of Zeus. “Let us remember that in the Greek world the divine forces are part of the life of communities, they are full partners of man.
Going a little further, if we want to find the ancient equivalent of the expression “law of Zeus” used by Nolan, we can read Works and days of Hesiod (7th century BC), suggests Vintian Pirenne-Delforge. “The poet states there that nomos (law, rule) that God gave to mortals is to practice justice, unlike wild animals that devour each other. However, respect for the master is one of the fair actions expected of a person. »
Thus, this principle of hospitality is not just about feeding the hungry, but is also part of a larger vision of social life.
This seems to be exactly what Christopher Nolan had in mind. “The themes raised in this story remain relevant, which means that we always recognized ourselves in these characters. Each era is in Odyssey. If only there was a “law of Zeus”, which implies that we should treat people the way we would like to be treated, and which still applies today,” the director told our colleague Caroline Vieux.
“Xenia”, the common thread of the “Odyssey”.
In many of his scenes, the director read 24 songs Odysseyilluminates this law of Zeus through what violates it: in the cave of the cyclops Polyphemus, whose eye is gouged out by Ulysses; in the house of the sorceress Circe, who turns her men into pigs; or on the shore of the island of Helios, where the hero’s companions succumb to the temptation to devour his cows. Not forgetting the suitors’ disrespect for Odysseus and his house. As a counterpoint, characters such as Telemachus and the swineherd Eumaeus represent respect for these divine laws. So the director assigns the theme Xenia which permeates the original poem.
” This is a common feature of the Odyssey, historian Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge confirms. At the very beginning of the poem, a dialogue takes place between Zeus and Athena, who tells her father that she is going to help Telemachus fight the suitors who are devouring his heritage. The first part of the poem is about the divine help provided to the mortal in the face of the rejection of “xenia”. »
Modern rereading
While Christopher Nolan has captured elements of the original story, he also deviates from it at some points. Especially during the Exodus and the connection his Ulysses is able to make between the Law of Zeus and the Trojan Horse episode. Likewise, the degree of guilt emanating from the character hardly fits the profile of an ancient hero. This is a modern interpretation of the figure of Ulysses.
” “I have no problem re-reading ancient myths,” comments Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge, clarifying that she has not yet seen Nolan’s film. On the contrary, it is fascinating and shows the vitality of these stories and their plasticity. However, we should avoid projecting today’s readings onto Antiquity. If we take a historical perspective, it is important to place these intrigues in the context of their proclamation in a world so different from ours. »