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Article: Ask Calliope.(Athens, Greece; Inca Ice Maiden; Roman empire)
- Article from:
- Calliope
- Article date:
- December 1, 2003
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? How did Athens get its name?
--Brower, 10, Ithaca, New York
! According to myth, Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, wanted to guard and protect Attica, the territory in which the city of Athens is located. The patron of Attica would be the deity who gave the area its most useful product. Poseidon, the god of the sea, offered the people water, while Athena gave them an olive tree. Athena won, as it was decided the olive tree was more useful.
The gods were right: The olive tree gave the Greeks olives, olive wood, and olive oil. It also has played a dominant role in Greek economy. In Athena's honor, the people of Attica named their capital ...