Poised in a power struggle, Poseidon challenged Athena to bestow the mortals a most useful gift. Thinking himself clever, he sprung a saltwater spring. But it was Athena's present that proved precious: from the rocky, sun-scorched terrain she instantly cultivated an olive tree. Athens was named in her honor, and the scraggly tree has been a symbol of health, prosperity and peace ever since.

Exalted as "liquid gold," the oil of this mythic tree has been used to sanctify and to salve, as currency and cure-all. Old-school Olympians believed it was a kind of sacred steroid and it was essential to the Egyptian's expert embalming. "Wine within and oil without" was the adage of ancient Romans, and let no fundamentalist forget that the Promised Land flows not with milk and honey, but is instead slick with a glistening sheen of golden oil.