At Global Tree Initiative, we love hearing stories from the people in our global community. This one comes from Pia, who has supported Global Tree Initiative since 2020.

Pia has taken part in our Tribal Data tree-planting campaign, joined a tree-planting action in the Netherlands, shared her experience with us, and supported GTI through donations.

Recently, Pia travelled to Greece. While visiting the Acropolis in Athens, she came across a story that felt particularly fitting for a Global Tree Initiative community member: the story of Athena and her olive tree.

Please enjoy Pia’s story below.

When the gods came to Athens

According to ancient Greek mythology, Athena and Poseidon once competed to become the patron of Attica, the region of Athens.

Poseidon, god of the sea, went first. With a mighty strike of his trident, he produced a salt-water spring from the rock of the Acropolis.

Then it was Athena’s turn. She struck the ground with her spear, and an olive tree sprang forth.

Her gift was an olive tree.

While Poseidon had demonstrated his power over the sea, Athena had brought forth something that could provide food, oil, wood, and many other benefits to the people of the land.

Athena won the contest and became the patron goddess of Athens. And so, the olive tree became closely associated with both the goddess and the city.

Not a bad gift!

A tree that came back to life

The story of Athena’s olive tree did not end there.

The ancient Athenians believed that a sacred olive tree associated with Athena grew on the Acropolis. During the Persian invasion of Athens in 480 BCE, the sacred precinct was unfortunately burned, and the tree was destroyed.

But according to the historian Herodotus, when the Athenians returned, they discovered something remarkable: a new shoot had grown from the burned tree!

For the Athenians, this became a powerful symbol of renewal and resilience.

Centuries later, the Greek traveller Pausanias also described the sacred olive and its connection to Athena’s victory.

The original ancient tree is no longer alive, but an olive tree continues to grow on the Acropolis today, keeping the ancient tradition alive.

And this is where I found myself, standing beside Athena’s temple and the olive tree.

It was magical and mesmerizing to stand here in a place that felt timeless.

Greece and its olive trees

Of course, the connection between Greece and olive trees goes far beyond mythology.

Olive trees are part of Greece’s landscape, cuisine, and culture. Olive oil is a staple of Greek cooking, and people have enjoyed olives for thousands of years.

Greece is home to millions of olive trees, including some remarkably old specimens.

One of the most famous is the Monumental Olive Tree of Vouves on Crete. It is considered to be at least 2,000 years old, although its exact age is debated. Amazingly, it is still alive and continues to produce olives.

The Olive Tree of Vouves*

And there is something else that makes olive trees rather special: they can be remarkably resilient. Even when badly damaged by fire or other forces, their roots can sometimes produce new shoots and allow the tree to grow again.

Perhaps that makes the story of Athena’s olive tree feel even more appropriate.

A tree with a story

Thank you for this lovely story, Pia! We are so happy to read about this olive tree and your experience. Your story is a reminder of why trees have always meant so much to people. They give us food, shade, materials, and beauty, and they can also become part of our memories, cultures, and stories.

So, the next time we are snacking on some Greek olives, we can take a moment to think of Athena, Poseidon, and that olive tree on the Acropolis.

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Images supplied by Pia
*The Olive Tree of Vouves Source 

Other references:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_tree_of_Vouves