The olive has a long and fascinating history
Here are just a few interesting legends:
Athena and Poseidon
Legend has it that Poseidon, the sea god, and Athena, goddess of wisdom, competed to find the gift that would be most valuable to humankind. Poseidon offered the horse and Athena the olive tree, under which all ancient Greek gods are said to have been born. Because of its many uses - such as the provision of heat, food, medicine and perfume - the olive tree was chosen as the most valuable and in return for Athena's contribution, the most powerful city in Greece was named Athens in her honour.
In Greece 500 B.C, olive oil's revered status was further confirmed by an image of the goddess Athena, with her head crowned with olive oil, imprinted onto the Drachma, the Greek coin. At the time, the Drachma was the Mediterranean's most circulated currency.
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