He caught sight of Minerva and went straight to the gate, for he was vexed that a stranger should be kept waiting for admittance. He took her right hand in his own, and bade her give him her spear. “Welcome,” said he, “to our house, and when you have partaken of food you shall tell us what you have come for.”
~ The Odyssey - Book I (Samuel Butler Translation. p184)
It has been ten years after the sack of Troy, and Ulysses has not yet returned home though most others have. He is trapped on an island by the goddess Calypso, the daughter of Atlas. Back home in Ithaca, a group of suitors has taken residence at Ulysses’ palace, and neither Ulysses’ son Telemachus nor his wife Penelope can do anything about it. Minerva visits Telemachus in disguise and encourages him to step up and be bold. Telemachus gives an ultimatum to the suitors.
I felt that the overarching theme of Book 1 was the importance of closure and the damage it does to the near and dear who are in a state of perpetual impasse, like Telemachus and Penelope. It underscores the importance of rituals around death, seeing the dead body, saying goodbye, etc. But that is not the topic that I want to discuss. It is about hospitality and generosity to people we don’t know. Minerva (Athena) visits Ithaca disguised as a man. Telemachus sees the stranger, goes to him, welcomes him, and offers food and rest.