| Despite the close connection between the | | | | city was awarded to Athena. |
| goddess and the city, it was believed that Athena | | | | The resentful sea-god caused a disastrous flood |
| had once been forced to compete to win her | | | | on the plain, and in order to conciliate him, the |
| pre-eminent position. In the time of the first king, | | | | men of Athens decided no longer to be known by |
| Kekrops, the god Poseidon, discontented with his | | | | their mothers' names, as had been the custom in |
| dominion over the seas, and jealous of the | | | | the past, but to use their fathers' names instead. |
| authority his brother Zeus exercised over the | | | | They also deprived the women of all their civic |
| land, was determined to extend his own influence. | | | | rights: even of the right to call themselves |
| One day he appeared on the Acropolis to | | | | Athenians. |
| demonstrate his power and usefulness to the | | | | The print of Poseidon's trident on the rock was |
| citizens. In the presence of the king and people, | | | | shown to visitors down to Roman times. The |
| he struck a great blow with his trident on the | | | | source of the salt water lay within the |
| rock, and a saltwater spring gushed out. At that | | | | Erechtheion. Pausanias described it as a deep well, |
| point, the goddess Athena appeared and caused | | | | and claimed that when the south wind blew, the |
| an olive tree to emerge out of the ground. As it | | | | waves of the sea could be heard from inside. The |
| grew to maturity and fruitfulness in front of their | | | | olive-tree planted by Athena was exhibited in the |
| eyes, she explained the many ways in which its | | | | Pandrosion, just to the west of the Erechtheion, |
| fruit could be useful to them. Kekrops and his | | | | down to the second century AD. Although |
| people were so impressed that they pledged their | | | | apparently destroyed when it was burned by the |
| loyalty to Athena. | | | | Persians in 480 BC, on the return of the |
| Angry and humiliated, Poseidon challenged Athena | | | | Athenians it put out new shoots. |
| to single combat, but Zeus intervened to keep | | | | Behind these stories seems to lie the memory of |
| the peace, appointing the gods as arbiters. All the | | | | a deliberate choices which the Athenians made at |
| gods supported Poseidon, while the goddesses | | | | some date in their past, to give precedence to |
| each voted for Athena. As their president, Zeus | | | | the cultivation of the olive tree over sea-faring, |
| was obliged to remain neutral, leaving the | | | | and to recognize males as possessing superior |
| goddesses with a majority of one; and so the | | | | status over females. |