The Story of the Olive Tree in Mythology
The importance of olive trees is as old as human history. Olive trees symbolize peace, victory, and success in all cultures and are particularly associated with the Mediterranean cultural history.
Another name for the olive tree, one of the first domesticated and grafted Mediterranean trees, is the Immortal Tree. With its existence, it became home to many living creatures and gave them life.
To understand the place of the olive tree in human history, we need to go back quite a bit in time. In strata Fossil remains unearthed in modern-day Italy from the Oligocene period (about 20-40 million years ago), the last phase of the Paleogene period, indicate the presence of the olive tree, a product thought to be indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean basin. Scientific research on the DNA of cultivated and wild olive trees in this region shows that the olive tree was domesticated between 6000 to 8000 years ago in present-day Türkiye and Syria. This precious tree has spread to the Mediterranean world via commercial routes of the Mediterranean economies.
The Importance of Mythology
You will see that plants are frequently featured in many mythological tales from the ancient world. Plants were seen as the gods’ most precious gifts to humans; plants were given different stories and meanings identified with current events. Mythological tales have an essential place in examining and researching these events.
Olive Tree in Ancient Greece and Rome
The Olive tree had an essential place in the Hellenic culture. In ancient Greek and Roman traditions, olive oil was used in funerals and many ritual ceremonies. During preparations for the afterlife, the deceased’s body was washed with olive oil and other scented oils. The olive tree was considered sacred within the city, and damaging these trees would have severe penalties.
POLIAS – The Goddess of the City Athena and The Olive Tree
In one of the founding stories about Athens, in Hellenic mythology, Cecrops, the founder and the first king before Athens took its name, thought the city needed a protective god and goddess.
Legend has it that the god Poseidon, who entered the race for this purpose, struck the earth with his gigantic trident and used the power of water to create a luminous river for the city’s inhabitants.
However, when Athenians approached the water, they saw it was undrinkable sea water.
Athena, the goddess of wisdom, warfare, and handicraft, decided to give an olive tree to the citizens. This gift will be essential in meeting the need for food, fuel, and shelter. Cecrops and the Athenians, therefore, accept Athena’s gift, and the city takes its name from the goddess.