Famous 2,500-year-old Greek olive tree Burned

Yesterday's blog highlighted how a warmer world brings more extremes of droughts, wildfires, flooding and stronger storms. During the early part of August several areas of Greece, including the island of Evia, suffered from devastating wildfires. The fires were so bad and destructive on that particular island that it triggered many evacuations, and destroyed many buildings. But it also destroyed a centuries-old landmark, made famous in ancient Greek literature. Here's the story from Greek City times... 

Fire in Evia: Famous 2,500-year-old Greek olive tree turned to charcoal

  by PANAGIOTIS SAVVIDIS Greek City Times Evia fire

The catastrophic fires in Northern Evia, burned not only thousands of acres of virgin forest, but also the ancient Olive grove of Rovia, with the 2,500 years old olive tree among the victims.

The Evian tree is so ancient that it was even described in antiquity by the geographer and philosopher Strabo.

(Photo: Greek citizen posing at the base of the tree before the fires. Credit: apostolis panagiotou via Twitter) 

The ancient tree had a trunk that needed ten people to embrace it and it was still productive until its destruction.

Newsweek reported: The ancient tree, located in the olive grove of Rovia, even featured in the writings of renowned Greek geographer, philosopher and historian Strabo, who lived about 2,000 years ago.  Strabo, (born c. 64 bce, Amaseia, Pontus—died after 21 ce),  whose Geography is the only extant work covering the whole range of peoples and countries known to both Greeks and Romans during the reign of Augustus (27 bce–14 ce).

But images taken after fires ravaged the ancient olive grove in the north of the island show that the tree had been reduced to a hollowed out stump, with only fragments of its trunk remaining.

Apostolis Panagiotou posted photos of the centuries-old olive tree, before and after the disaster.

(Photo Below: A scene  in Rovies, northern Evia. [Yiannis Liakos/InTime News])