The Cyclops violates xenia. The Phaeacians restore it. Between the two, the journey judges houses.
Xenia organizes the welcome of the stranger: receive, feed, question with measure, offer a possible departure. It protects travelers in a world where every shore can become a threat.
The Odyssey uses this rule as an instrument of moral sorting. Polyphemus is monstrous because he devours his guests instead of welcoming them. The Phaeacians, by contrast, give Odysseus a place in the world again by listening to him and helping him return.
This hospitality is not simple politeness. It touches the order of the world: Zeus protects strangers, and a house that destroys welcome becomes dangerous for the whole community.