According to Aegean myth, the first artichoke was a divine young woman who lived on the island of Zinari. One day the Greek god, Zeus, visited his brother Poseidon.

Zeus emerged from the sea to discover a beautiful young mortal woman. She did not seem frightened by him or seem to notice that he was a god. Zeus, naturally, took full advantage of the opportunity and seduced her. Her name was Cynara, and it all 'went' so well that he decided to make her a goddess. This would enable her to live near to his home on Mt. Olympus.

Cynara agreed.  Cynara soon became homesick. She missed her mother, so she slipped back to the earth for a short but meaningful visit with the mortals. When she returned, Zeus wasn't particularly happy with her, threw a fit and tossed her back to earth, and he changed her into the plant that we now call the artichoke.