Family squabbles - brother versus daughter. Bitter bickering and strife, after all, the stakes were high. Neither Poseidon nor Athena would yield and Zeus needed calm. What could he, the king of the Gods devise to fairly settle the struggle? In the end, it was simple. Whomever of the two could provide him with the most useful invention would gain control of Attica - modern day Greece - to which they both declared entitlement. Atop the Acropolis' hill, Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and a horse appeared. A magnificent animal - sleek and muscled in grace and power and easily conformable to man's will. As vehicle and carrier, as weapon of war, the virtues of the horse were undeniable. Athena, Goddess of war and wisdom, heralded for her peace instinct and intelligence caused an olive tree to grow atop the Acropolis and bear fruit. Attica became Athena's. A country was won because of the magnificence of a trees fruit: the olive. | 
