Goddes Athena and Olive tree

It was Athens, goddess of wisdom, the wisest of Zeuss daughters, that had stuck a spear into the ground at the break of civilization, and the spear had turned into an olive tree

In Ancient Rome, the olive oil traders dedicated a statue and a temple to Hercules Olivarius, and the dead were traditionally decorated with olive boughs. In Ancient Pompei the Romans used olive oil for washing their hair. The Garden of Gethsemane, where Christ often prayed and was arrested, was described by the disciples as an olive grove.

It is said that in Italy there is an olive tree that is 3500 years old. Olive trees can be seen as a symbol of tradition and a witness of eras gone by. It is a bearer of long forgotten times and legacies.There is another sights in Kastel Stafilic, the oldest olive tree in Croatia, a natural monument, an olive tree more than 1500 years old. It is supposed that it has been brought from the South Italy or Greece, planted here for someones personal needs, to produce the high quality olive oil. Later on, this specie has spread all over the Dalmatia.This oldest olive tree in Croatia has survived many wars, diseases, natural disasters and human negligence and is still bearing fruits.This is one of the reasons why the olive tree is regarded as a symbol of patience: looking at an olive tree gives a feeling of serenity, peace and tranquility. Furthermore, the olive tree is the symbol of immortality: it gives power to kings and priests, and its boughs crown heroes and Olympic champions.

The Hellenes told the fable of the minor dispute that had broken out on Olympus between Neptune and Minerva, in order to decide who would reign in Attica. Jupiter proposed that the kingdom should be granted to whoever presented the most useful gift for Humanity. Neptune presented a horse as swift as the wind, while Minerva brought a small olive branch, affirming that in the future it would become a strong tree, capable of living for centuries and whose fruits would be good to eat and from them an extraordinary liquid would be able to be extracted for the nourishment of man, soothe his wounds, give strength to his body and light for his nights, since he would know how to keep a small flame lit for hours.Fired with enthusiasm, Jupiter decided that Attica would be for Minerva and that its capital would be known as Athens.

The importance of olive oil to the people of the Mediterranean is reflected in their writings and even their laws. The Greek poet Homer called it liquid gold. The Greek philosopher Democritus believed a diet of honey and olive oil could allow a man to live to be a hundred, an extremely old age in a time where life expectancy hovered around forty years. In the sixth century B.C. the Athenian legislator Solon introduced laws protecting olive trees. In a grove only two trees could be removed each year. Breaking this law incurred severe penalties, including execution. There are more than a hundred references in the Bible to olives and olive oil.

Olive tree in Croatia

Due to favourable natural and geographical conditions, olive production inCroatia has a long tradition. During the period of about the last six centuries, it hasdeveloped into one of the most important economic sectors of coastal Croatia. It isconsidered that the first cultivated olive trees were brought to the East Adriatic coast inthe 4th century BC, by the Greeks (KARICA ET AL., 1996). Since the olives adjusted to thenatural, especially climatic, conditions, they were planted on the other islands and on thepart of shore with same natural characteristics.

Speaking of the historical development of olive cultivation, it is necessary toexplain its importance for the islands that were, for practical purposes, isolated from theshore until the second half of the 20th century. On a great number of Croatian islands,mostly those situated in the Middle or South Adriatic, during the summer there is a longperiod characterised by little or no rainfall. In addition, those islands are mostly composedof calcium-carbonate and dolomite, which is the main reason why there are no surfaceflows and all the water that comes from the rain goes into the subsoil.Since olive is a cultivar that does not demand a great quantity of humidity and isperfectly adjusted to the natural conditions of the coastal part of Croatia, people from theislands accepted it as the only, essential, source of fat.Besides on the islands, olives were introduced in other parts of coastal Croatia,wherever natural conditions (primarily climate) allowed their cultivation.

Like Loading...

Related

See the original post here:
The olive tree Symbol of Immortality MYsterious CROATIA