Other forms: xenia
In ancient Greece and Rome, a xenium was a special gift given to someone visiting from a foreign place. Xenia were taken very seriously, both for political reasons and as part of a tradition of hospitality.
Hospitality was extremely important to the ancient Greeks — in fact, by offering xenia to their guests, people believed they were directly honoring the gods Zeus and Athena. These gifts included housing and feeding visitors as well as items made from metal, pottery, or fabric. The tradition was reciprocal: A host would expect to receive xenia in return, during future visits to their guest's home. The Greek root of xenium is xenos, "guest."