According to Wikipedia, there are 6 words for love in the Greek language. Each of them deserves to be looked at as we, that being western authors, often find our perceptions of love colored by the different categories outlined by these six words.

Part 6: Xenia

This kind of love is the love of strangers. Talked about in the Old Testament, maybe not by name but by implication, this is the love you show strangers journeying through your lands. This is the kind of love that you show when a tourist asks you to take their photo in front of a national landmark. Its true purpose is to show a kind of love and loyalty for your own nation. You, in that moment, are a representative of your people. When people claim that Europeans, for example, are rude, likely this is because the individuals they met, while in Europe, who implicitly represent their fellow countrymen, were rude.

Have you ever heard of the term “Southern Hospitality”? Well, this would be a good example of Xenia. I can’t honestly think of any examples of this in literature, but maybe a counterexample. In the Wiki article ,the writer mentions the suitors of Penelope in the Odyssey. They were cruel to the king when he returned from his voyage, and some say that their subsequent demise is a result of their lack of Xenia.

How might you show Xenia, or write a story about someone showing Xenia? Let me know in the comments below, or @ mention me in a post on X @ABTimothyAuthor