The Ancient Greeks had many customs and values that were extremely different than the ones we are familiar with today. They were very hospitable, which led to them celebrating guests by hosting feasts in their honor. Food helped to serve as a marker for social status as well; the higher up you were, the more elegant and erotic your meals would be. However, in the epic poem The Odyssey, food means more than its literal representation; it is also a symbol of temptation. The very first paragraph reminds us of the exact reason why most men didn't return home from their voyage when it says, "the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all, the blind fools, they devoured the call of the Sun/ and the Sungod wiped from sight the day of their return" (Book 1, 8-10). Although the men were famished, it is clear that this event was very significant due to the tone when it is mentioned. Ironically enough, this important passage has everything to do with temptation, just as it has everything to do with food. They did not return home from their voyage because they ate the cows, because they gave into temptation. In The Odyssey, Homer successfully uses food as a symbolic representation of temptation.
             In the beginning of The Odyssey, food is mentioned multiple times in regards to feasting and sacrificing. It is clear that any type of food is important, but it is worth mentioning that the types of food associated with different people causes different levels of temptation. For most people, the common foods of meat, wine, and bread are enough to tempt them away from their initial intentions. However, as you go up in class, a piece of bread will not effectively distract you. You would need a more erotic and enchanting food in order to be led off course. For example, the suitors that occupied Odysseus' palace would spend most of their day feasting. They would have roasts after roasts, and indulge in multiple feasts everyday. ...