Palm Trees In the Greco-Roman World

The Greeks called the palm tree phoenix and phoenicia on the Syrian Coast and they believed that the Phoenicians had a significant role in spreading its agriculture. The earliest mention of the palm tree is found

in the Odyssey of Homer when Odysseus described the palm tree in the Island of Delos. Herodotus mentioned palm in Babylonia and the various benefits of both the dates and the trees themselves. Strabo in his Geography numerates the advantages of the palm and said that the Palms were planted in Europe, but they do not bear the ripened dates because of the weather, the dates need hot climate to ripen.
Pliny the Elder narrates detailed accounts on the Palms and methods of growing and he mentioned 49 kinds of dates. The representation of Palms in the arts is limited and in accidental way. However, Palms were depicted on coins and on few representations.