xenodocheion

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In the early Middle Ages, a xenodochium or '''' (from Ancient Greek , or xenodocheion; place for strangers, inn, guesthouse) was either a hostel or hospital, usually specifically for foreigners or pilgrims, although the term could refer to charitable institutions in general. The xenodochium was a church institution that first appeared in the Byzantine world. The xenodochium was a more common institution than any of its more-specific counterparts, such as the gerocomium (from , ; place for the old), nosocomium (from , ; place for the sick) or orphanotrophium'' (for orphans). A hospital for victims of plague was called a (guesthouse of the plague-carriers).