"If a man is cruel by nature, cruel in action,
the mortal world will call down curses on his head
while he is alive, and all will mock his memory after death.
But then if a man is kind by nature, kind in action,
his guests will carry his fame across the earth
and people all will praise him from the heart."
– Homer
The Odyssey, Book 19, lines 378-383. Penelope makes a speech about the ancient Greek concepts of xenia (hospitality to strangers) and kleos (fame or glory). It comes after she takes Odysseus-the-beggar into her home and her words are directed at anyone who "offends our guest beyond endurance." A cruel person will be cursed while alive and mocked when dead, she warns. But a kind person’s guests will spread his fame spread across the world, she says.