The olive for the ancient Greeks was a symbol of the Olympic ideals. For this reason, the only prize that the Olympic winner received was a wreath made from an olive branch, the “kotinos”. Inside the temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia, there was an olive tree, the “kalistefanos olive”, from which the branches were made the “kotinos”. The legend says that Hercules planted the olive after the completion of his twelve feats.
Also Olive oil was the prize for the winners of the famous Panathenaic Games, which were held in honor of the goddess Athena.