When the gods sought cities where they would receive their own honours, Poseidon and Athena both laid claim to Attica. In the account preserved by Apollodorus, Poseidon struck the Acropolis with his trident and brought forth a sea called Erechtheis.
Athena came after him. With Cecrops, the early king of Attica, as witness, she planted an olive tree in the precinct of Pandrosus. The two gods disputed possession of the land, so the Twelve Gods were appointed as judges. They awarded Attica to Athena because Cecrops testified that she had planted her tree first.
The goddess named the city Athens after herself. Poseidon, angered by the verdict, flooded the Thriasian plain, Apollodorus adds. The story links a divine contest to the identity of a city—and gives the olive a place in its founding memory.
READ THE SOURCES
Where this telling comes from
- Apollodorus, Library 3.14.1Ancient narrative account; English translation by J. G. Frazer (1921), hosted by the Perseus Digital Library.
- Pausanias, Description of Greece 1.24.3A second-century CE description of the statues on the Acropolis, including Athena’s olive plant and Poseidon’s wave.
- British Museum, Parthenon Sculptures: West PedimentMuseum catalogue entry describing the pediment’s mythic contest between Athena and Poseidon.
Translations and descriptions remain with their respective publishers. This page retells the story in its own words and links readers to the sources.