Page 72 - Introduction to Tourism
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the second half of the fifth century on, as people
went to see the Parthenon and other new
buildings atop the Acropolis.
Today ’ s traveler who gets into trouble in a
foreign city usually turns to his country ’ s consul.
The ancient Greek turned to his proxenos (from
the Greek pro, meaning “ before ”
or “ for, ” and xenos, foreigner). The primary duty
of the proxenos was to aid and assist in all ways
possible any of his compatriots who turned up in
the place of his residence, particularly those who
had come in some official capacity. His more
mundane duties might include extending
hospitality, obtaining theater tickets, or extending
a loan for someone who had run short of funds
while visiting. More complex duties included
negotiating ransom for relatives of someone
taken as a prisoner of war. The heirs of someone
who died in the city might ask the proxenos to
wind up essential financial matters there.
As the fourth century B.C.E. came to a close in
Greece, people traveled despite the discomfort
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