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In January, the New York Times asked President Donald Trump if there were any limits on his global powers. “Yeah,” the president responded, “there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”

JONAH GOLDBERG: Trump’s hubris rivals fallen heroes of Greek mythology Back to video

That was eight months ago, but fortunately Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster adaptation of The Odyssey has made ancient Greek literature newly relevant.

Before that window closes, I would like to talk about hubris. Today, the term mostly means excessive pride or arrogance. That’s part of what the Greeks meant by it too, but the meaning was a bit richer and more specific. Hubris was an insolent or outrageous act that offended the gods, often because the transgressor was claiming abilities or authorities that solely belonged to supreme beings.

Nolan renamed and slightly modified the concept of xenia for the film, calling it “Zeus’ law.” In the director’s telling, mortals should follow the rules laid out by the gods, specifically the requirement to treat strangers with respect lest they be gods in........

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