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In ancient times, the olive tree was considered a sacred plant.
Two thousand years B.C., in ancient Greece, the principal diet consisted of grains, peas, watermelon, squash, chicory, grapes, figs, eggplants and olives. The Cretans celebrated the olive harvest with a great feast. In Homeric poems, olive oil was used exclusively for cleanliness and hygiene. The olive tree was considered a rare and exotic plant. The Hebrews, after their Exodus from Egypt, also cultivated the olive tree and produced olive oil.
Illustrations by RO MARCENARO
