Ancient Greeks, especially the Athenians, worshipped an ancient olive tree on the Acropolis, which they believed was planted by the goddess Athena. When Aristotle wrote the Constitution of the Athenians, he prescribed the death penalty for anyone who uprooted or felled an olive tree.

This is the sacred olive tree on the Acropolis of Athens. Pausanias wrote that the day after the Persians burned the Acropolis in 480 BC. this tree sprouted a new branch four feet long.

"O olive tree, blessed be the earth that nourishes you and blessed be the water you drink from the clouds and thrice blessed He who sent you for the poor man's lamp and the saint's candle-light".
Folk song from Crete

“The whole Mediterranean, the sculpture, the palm, the gold beads, the bearded heroes, the wine, the ideas, the ships, the moonlight, the winged gorgons, the bronze men, the philosophers -all of it seems to rise in the sour, pungent taste of these black olives between the teeth. A taste older than meat, older than wine. A taste as old as cold water.”
Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990)

In ancient Greece olive oil was used for cooking, as medicine and for religious purposes. They used it for light as it was the principal source of fuel for lamps. It was also used for perfumes, soaps, lubricants as well as in offerings and magic!

Homer called it "Liquid gold" and Hippocrates "The great therapeutic".