The Gift of Athena to Greece

Discover the Greek Gods

At the top of the Acropolis in Athens  (Greece), is an olive tree that is a symbol of reverence and gratitude to the goddess Athena, founder of the city

The legend says, that Zeus proposed a contest between Athena and Poseidon for the possession of Athens. Poseidon raised up his  trident, smashed it upon the hard rock of the Acropolis and out a salt spring sprang.

 

Athena  produced an olive tree, with its branches full of fruits. This event between the two powerful  gods was immortalized in stone, on the West pediment sculptures of the Parthenon.

Athenians chose Athena’s gift: the leaves were used  to crown the heads of victorious athletes, generals and kings, the wood used to construct houses and boats, as fuel to lamps and it was applied to the skin of Olympic athletes.

  

A Temple to Athena Polias (‘of the city’) was built c.525BC housing a cult statue inside made from olive wood and a reserved area created for Athena’s sacred olive tree.

Nowadays in Athens, Greece...



Olive Oil Extraction

People have used olive presses since Greeks first began pressing olives over 5,000 years ago with Roman olive presses existing up to the present time.
An olive press works by applying pressure to olive paste to separate the liquid oil and vegetation water from the solid material. The oil and vegetation water are then separated.

An olive mill and an olive press dating from Roman times

First the olives are ground into an olive paste using large millstones at an oil mill. The olive paste generally stays under the stones for 30‑40 minutes.

 



Watch how olive oil is made at Finca Morote, in the traditional way

After grinding, the olive paste is spread on fiber disks, which are stacked on top of each other, then placed into the press.

 

The weight put on the olive paste that is in the basket, extracts both the oil and the water

The oil will float over the surface of the water and then will be decanted or separated

Make your own homemade olive oil!