Olive
The olive is a a species of small tree in the family Oleaceae found throughout Mediterranean region. Because of its prominence in Greece and Italy, it has historically played a significant role in their cultures and has been a major agricultural product in these countries since ancient times.[1][2]
Significance
Its fruit, also called the olive, is a core ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, and the tree itself was a substantial source of wood for the Greeks during the Peloponnesian War.[1] In Ptolemaic Egypt of the 1st century BCE, olive oil was valued as much as in Greece of antiquity.[3]
The olive wreath, given as a prize of the champion at the Olympic Games, was made from the Olympic Tree within the Sanctuary of Olympia in Elis.[1]
To this day, owing to the legacy of Classical Greek culture, the olive branch remains a symbol of peace.[4]
The club of one of the mightiest heroes in Greek mythology, Herakles, was also made of a large branch of an olive tree in Argolis.[1]
Due to the colour of the fruit, a specific green dye has been named olive since the Renaissance.[5]
Gallery
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The Olympic Tree within the Sanctuary of Olympia in Elis
Appearances
- Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy
- Assassin's Creed III (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Origins
- Assassin's Creed: Odyssey