Athena And The Olive Tree Greek Myths
Athena and the olive tree.
Athena and the olive tree greek myths. Athena invented the olive tree and gave it to the city. The olive tree is a tree sacred to athena. Then in the middle of the city a water fountain came out of the ground. However the first king of athens cecrops who was the judge of the contest realized that the olive tree was much more beneficial since it gave the athenians fruit oil and wood.
In greece the history of olive oil is as old as the myths of the gods of olympus. Not only were tombs to the myth i cal kings kekrops and erechtheus here but also the spot where posei don s tri dent struck the ground and of course athena s sacred olive tree. Branches would provide kindling for kitchen stoves and fireplaces. The olive tree would provide wood for building homes.
When athena and poseidon were both vying for the position of patron deity of the city now called athens both presented the city with a gift. In the founding myth of athens athena bested poseidon in a competition over patronage of the city by creating the first olive tree. Poseidon invented the horse and presented it to the city. Smart as she was athena did nothing spectacular.
The olives could be used for food. Athena waved her arm and an olive tree appeared. The sacred olive tree of greece a sacred olive tree thought to be the one originally created by athena all those thousands of years ago was still growing on the acropolis in the 2nd century ad according to pausanias greek traveller and geographer. According to greek mythology the creation of the olive tree was the result of a contest between athena goddess of wisdom and poseidon god of the sea as to who would become the protector of a newly built city in attica the historical region of greece.
She s known as athena parthenos athena the virgin but in one archaic attic myth the god hephaestus tried and failed to rape her resulting in gaia giving birth to erichthonius an important athenian founding hero. The latter was her gift to the city of athens. This infrastructure would hold in its midst an enormous statue of the deity made of ivory and gold. The fruit could pressed to release cooking oil.
The myth of athena also includes a symbol specific to her. One of her famous temples was the parthenon found on a hill called the acropolis in athens. Sacred olive tree of the acropolis. Poseidon banged his trident to the ground.
As a result the families who looked to gain fertility in their soils looked to this tree. She merely planted an olive tree. The people nibbled at the olives. Athena the patroness of handicrafts the myth of arachne.
The people were excited. Athena was goddess of fertility and as has been previously mentioned her symbol was the olive tree which was one of the trees most cultivated in greece and its fruit fed the hellenes for centuries.