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.[1] 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).