Big Olive (Thebes, Greece nickname)
The 1997 Disney animated movie Hercules called ancient Thebes, Greece, by the nickname "the Big Olive." A character said:
"One town, a million troubles. The one and only Thebes. The Big Olive itself. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere."
Wikipedia: Thebes, Greece
Thebes (/θiːbz/; Greek: Θήβα, Thíva [ˈθiva]; Ancient Greek: Θῆβαι, Thêbai [tʰɛ̂ːbai̯]) is a city in Boeotia, central Greece. It played an important role in Greek myths, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus, Heracles and others. Archaeological excavations in and around Thebes have revealed a Mycenaean settlement and clay tablets written in the Linear B script, indicating the importance of the site in the Bronze Age.
Thebes was the largest city of the ancient region of Boeotia and was the leader of the Boeotian confederacy. It was a major rival of ancient Athens, and sided with the Persians during the 480 BC invasion under Xerxes. Theban forces under the command of Epaminondas ended the power of Sparta at the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC.
Wikipedia: Hercules (1997 film)
Hercules is a 1997 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fifth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. The film is based on the legendary Greek mythology hero Heracles (known in the film by his Roman name, Hercules), the son of Zeus, in Greek mythology.
IMDb (The Internet Movie Database)
Hercules (1997)
Quotes
Phil: One town, a million troubles. The one and only Thebes. The Big Olive itself. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.
http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/h/hercules.html
Let me start by saying that Hercules, Walt Disney Pictures' 35th animated feature, makes for good family entertainment. Good, not great.
(...)
The majority of the film centers on the adult Hercules performing all sorts of grueling tasks to clean up the ancient city of Thebes ("the Big Olive" -- if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere) and establish his status as a hero. His mentor is a satyr named Phil, who fills the role of the irascible-but-lovable sidekick. Meanwhile, Hades is out to get Zeus' son, throwing all sorts of obstacles in his path -- hydras, giant boulders, and a Mae West-type damsel in distress named Megara.
http://gingermichelle.blogspot.com/2006/03/hercules.html
Also, at one point a city is referred to as "The Big Olive" as an allusion to New York, The Big Apple.
OCLC WorldCat record
Disney's Hercules : [original soundtrack]
Author: Alan Menken; David Zippel
Publisher: [Burbank, Calif.] : Walt Disney Records, ©2006, ℗1997.
Edition/Format: Music CD : CD audio : English
Contents:
(...)
The big olive --
"One town, a million troubles. The one and only Thebes. The Big Olive itself. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere."
Wikipedia: Thebes, Greece
Thebes (/θiːbz/; Greek: Θήβα, Thíva [ˈθiva]; Ancient Greek: Θῆβαι, Thêbai [tʰɛ̂ːbai̯]) is a city in Boeotia, central Greece. It played an important role in Greek myths, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus, Heracles and others. Archaeological excavations in and around Thebes have revealed a Mycenaean settlement and clay tablets written in the Linear B script, indicating the importance of the site in the Bronze Age.
Thebes was the largest city of the ancient region of Boeotia and was the leader of the Boeotian confederacy. It was a major rival of ancient Athens, and sided with the Persians during the 480 BC invasion under Xerxes. Theban forces under the command of Epaminondas ended the power of Sparta at the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC.
Wikipedia: Hercules (1997 film)
Hercules is a 1997 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fifth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. The film is based on the legendary Greek mythology hero Heracles (known in the film by his Roman name, Hercules), the son of Zeus, in Greek mythology.
IMDb (The Internet Movie Database)
Hercules (1997)
Quotes
Phil: One town, a million troubles. The one and only Thebes. The Big Olive itself. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.
http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/h/hercules.html
Let me start by saying that Hercules, Walt Disney Pictures' 35th animated feature, makes for good family entertainment. Good, not great.
(...)
The majority of the film centers on the adult Hercules performing all sorts of grueling tasks to clean up the ancient city of Thebes ("the Big Olive" -- if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere) and establish his status as a hero. His mentor is a satyr named Phil, who fills the role of the irascible-but-lovable sidekick. Meanwhile, Hades is out to get Zeus' son, throwing all sorts of obstacles in his path -- hydras, giant boulders, and a Mae West-type damsel in distress named Megara.
http://gingermichelle.blogspot.com/2006/03/hercules.html
Also, at one point a city is referred to as "The Big Olive" as an allusion to New York, The Big Apple.
OCLC WorldCat record
Disney's Hercules : [original soundtrack]
Author: Alan Menken; David Zippel
Publisher: [Burbank, Calif.] : Walt Disney Records, ©2006, ℗1997.
Edition/Format: Music CD : CD audio : English
Contents:
(...)
The big olive --