The conflict ended in favor of Athena as she donates to the citizens the most useful gift and a symbol of fertility and peace, the olive tree. Since then, olive trees and their products are entirely detached with the Greek culture and their cultivation thrive around the country!
An excellent case study is the city of Megara with vast areas of olive groves which produces large amount of olives and olive oils! It islocated twenty kilometers far from Eleusina. It has a strong mythological and historical background as it had already established in Neolithic period and it was considered as an important power during antiquity. The famous “Megarian olive groves” are extended in large cultivable areas and they constitute a natural monument because of the countless centennial olive trees. Both their excellent resistance to extreme climate conditions as heat waves in summer and their minimum cultivation requirements give the producers lots of advantages! The centennial olive tree has an incalculable value. It is the symbol of the diet and mediterranean culture par excellence. Its twisted forms and its thick trunk are its main features. Most of the olive trees tend to have a niche and large holes in its “body” revealing the decay of the time.
There is so much to tell about olive products as a main part of Greek culture. There are many historical references for their cultivation since thousands years ago. There is no coincidence that in Ancient Greece the olive products had various uses and meanings. Besides their advantages in food and in medicine, peace and prosperity are symbolized by an olive wreath or branch, as happened with the winners of the Olympic games.
Visiting the Megarian olive groves is synonymous with a travel in Greek past!
