Athena & Poseidon’s Competition For Athens
-​ Athena, goddess of wisdom and war, competes with Poseidon, god of
the sea, for the honour of becoming the patron deity of the city Athens
-​ Both gods display offerings for the people should they be chosen
-​ Poseidon strikes the ground with his trident, producing a spring,
alongside the promise of naval power
-​ This spring, however, proves useless to the people, as it is filled with
seawater rather than freshwater, and cannot quench the thirst of the
people or water their crops
-​ Athena planted an olive tree in the soil, and it grew quickly to be fully
grown
-​ She explained that the tree would provide food with its fruit, wood useful
for homes and boats, oil for cooking and lamps, and shade when the
days got too hot
-​ When the King and his people chose Athena, Poseidon was angered,
and cursed the city with a scarcity of water, which was the mythological
explanation for the issues with drought in the area