THE LEGENDARY OLIVE TREE

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Olive or Olea europea is a family of Oleacea. It is a short evergreen shrub that usually spans 26-49 ft in height. This wonderful plant is known as a native to the Mediterranean basin especially near the coastal areas. Even in countries such as Northern Iraq and Northern Iran, olive trees have spawned the areas in majority. An olive tree bears fruits which are also called “olives”. Its productivity has offered many civilizations a wealth of food and oil supply from its fruits. The stability of its production has been stringently taken into considerable amount of attention and effort for an unremitting growth of agricultural nations. A large amount of economic livelihoods are dependent to these yards of olive trees causing economic and political quarrels crippling their rivals through a direct destruction of their orchards of olive trees. Olive trees have never stopped impressing the world, through the remarkable nutritional benefits incorporated in this small shrub. It has aided the health and the lives of the Greek citizens for centuries.

Sophocles once said that olive tree is “the tree that feeds the children”. For quite a measure of time, this protagonist of the Greek culture has conquered the valleys and mountain areas of Crete. For as early as 3500 B.C, Cretans have started cultivating this immensely essential agricultural plant. A number of archaeological findings have supported such claim during the early Minoan era. Olive tree is considerably deemed as one of the oldest fruit trees that ever graced history. The rich history and culture of Olives are admirably linked to the rise and fall of the eccentric Mediterranean empires through time. It has been innumerably cited in most of western literature. In fact, it has been utilized to adorn and beautify primordial cult figures known as “xoana”. In Greek mythology you can find overwhelming accounts of how this tree came into being. Legends were passed on and stories were told. It was said that the Greek goddess Athena bestowed one of her most precious gifts to men through this tree. The epitome of wisdom and peace clouted her enchanted spear towards our world which turned into an olive tree. The very spot where the tree developed was then named after the goddess and was called Athens. There have been accounts by Homer purporting that this primeval tree that sprouted in Athens was thousands of centuries old—10,000 years to be specific. It was even reiterated that ill-fated folks annihilating olive trees will be sentenced to face their demise. If recorded, there would be an unending list of how olive trees have created an indelible mark in the face of ancient Greek culture. Not just in its growing economy and agriculture, but even in their religion and rituals olive tree has a special part to take. Consecrated rituals and sacraments make use of olive oil. It was once held that olive oil from the fruits of olive trees was deemed sacred and holy that only a few equitable people are allowed to grow these trees in their land.