 Cultivation
Social Beliefs
Religious Beliefs
Medicine
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Cultivation
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The olive tree is among the oldest known cultivated trees in the world. A native to Asia Minor, it spread from Iran, Syria and Palestine to the rest of the Mediterranean 5,000 years ago.
Pollen analysis indicates that olive trees have been present in Greece since Neolithic times.
Greeks were the first to cultivate the olive tree around 3500 BC on the island of Crete. By 2000BC cultivation in Crete was on a large scale with exports to mainland Greece, Northern Africa and Asia Minor.
Between the 7th and 3rd centuries BC ancient philosophers, physicians and historians undertook the botanical classification of the olive and wrote its history while Aristotle elevated its cultivation to a science.
Ancient Greeks protected olive trees by legislation. In the 6th century BC Solon the great Athenian legislator drafted the first law for the protection of the olive tree in which he prohibited the cutting down of more than two trees a year in each olive grove.
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Social Beliefs
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For the ancient Greeks, the olive tree was a symbol of peace, wisdom and triumph.
Olympic athletes in Greece were massaged with Olive Oil and believed that three gifts of the gods would flow from it - wisdom, power and strength.
When the first Olympic Games took place in Olympia in 776 BC an olive wreath was used to crown the Olympic champions.
Indicative of the significance of the olive tree to the Athenians is that coins portrayed the goddess Athena with an olive wreath on her helmet and an amphorae with Olive Oil.
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Religious Beliefs
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The ancient Greeks polished the statue of Zeus with Olive Oil. That, they believed would bring it a long and happy life.
The olive and its oil held and still has a special role in the Greek Orthodox religion as a symbol of love and peace. It was an essential part of several solemn rites from baptism to use in the oil lamps used in churches.
The Bible contains many references to the culinary and religious uses of olives and Olive Oil. In the Book of Genesis the dove sent out from the ark by Noah returns with an olive branch, the symbol of peace indicating the end of God’s anger. In the Book of Exodus the Lord tells Moses how to make an anointing oil of spices and Olive Oil. During consecration holy anointing oil was poured over the heads of kings and priests.
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Medicine
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Greek physicians used Olive Oil to heal wounds and cure many ailments including insomnia, nausea, cholera and ulcers. They also claimed that Olive Oil slowed the ageing processes.
The ancient Greeks rubbed Olive Oil into their skin as a beauty aid to soften and moisten the skin and into their hair and scalp to maintain healthy and shiny hair.
Olive oil has been a health potion around the Mediterranean for 4000 years.
The Greek philosopher Democritus believed a man could live to be 100 on a diet of honey and Olive Oil.
The Greeks bathed their bodies in Olive Oil to preserve their beauty.
Greek soldiers rubbed Olive Oil over their bodies to keep themselves warm.
As recently as 30 years ago, Olive Oil was kept behind the counter at the chemist's along with other such delights as kaolin, morphine, and syrup of figs. Warmed Olive Oil was regarded as a useful weapon aginst ear wax.
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Legend