In ancient Greece, the olive tree was considered sacred and was associated with Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare. Olive oil played a significant role in the ancient Greek economy and society and was used for both culinary and religious purposes. Homer's epic poem the Odyssey mentions olive oil as a valuable commodity, and the historian Herodotus wrote about the importance of olive oil in ancient Greece. The Athenians even had a law that required citizens to plant a certain number of olive trees each year.