A 2,500-year-old olive tree in Vouves village of Hania, Greece. LIU YONGQIU/XINHUA ATHENS－A four-centuries-old olive tree on the outskirts of the port city of Patras in western Greece was facing the axe because it was on the path of a major railway construction project led by Ergose, a subsidiary of the Hellenic Railways Organization. Uprooting an olive tree, which for Greeks has been a symbol of peace, hope, victory and abundance since antiquity, would not go down well with the public. Ergose, working with municipal authorities, universities and other public institutions, has found a solution. It gave new life to the old codger.