THE MYTHOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE OLIVE TREE

The tree from which olives are grown has a rich history and dates back to ancient Greek mythology. It is one of the mythical trees of antiquity with the oak in the Mediterranean.
Its origin comes from the goddess Athena, the daughter of Zeus and the goddess of justice and wisdom. It is said that Poseidon, the god of the sea and brother of Zeus, wanted to seize the city of Athens by force. Athena also wanted to possess Athens, but she had a peaceful approach. So Zeus proposed that everyone should make a gift to mankind and men would decide which one was most useful to them. The goddess touched the ground with her spear and made the very first olive tree appear. This tree gave people the chance to feed themselves and cure diseases.
The olive tree was thus declared the most useful gift to mankind and Athena was able to guard and protect the city of Athens, which still bears the name of the goddess today.
It is still considered a sacred tree in the Mediterranean to this day.
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