View source for Oreus

{{Short description|Town near the north coast of ancient Euboea}}
{{infobox ancient site
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[[File:Euboia Histiaia 2 BMC61 1.xcf|alt=Silver tetrobol from Euboia, Histiaia|thumb|299x299px|Silver tetrobol from Euboia, Histaia. Wreathed head of the Nymph Histiaia right; [IΣTI] - AEIΩN, Nymph Histiaia seated right on stern of galley, ornamented with wing, holding naval standard; AP monogram and labrys in exergue; BMC 61; BCD 391]]
{{Coin image box 1 double
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| image = Image:AR tetrobol from Histiaea.jpg
| caption_left = '''[[Obverse and reverse|O:]]''' [[Maenad]] with wine-wreath
| caption_right = '''[[Obverse and reverse|R:]]''' [[nymph]] [[Histiaea (mythology)|Histiaea]] seated on [[stern]] of [[galley]]
IΣTI / AIEΩN
| width = 300
| footer = [[Silver]] [[obol (coin)|tetrobol]]. This coin is probably a Roman imitation of an Histiaean issue struck in [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonia]] during the Roman's [[Third Macedonian War|military campaign]] circa 168 BC.
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'''Oreus''' or '''Oreos''' ({{langx|grc|Ὠρεός|Ōreos}}), prior to the 5th century&nbsp;BC called '''Histiaea''' or '''Histiaia''' (Ἱστίαια), also '''Hestiaea''' or '''Hestiaia''' (Ἑστίαια), was a town near the north coast of [[ancient Euboea]], situated upon the river [[Callas (river)|Callas]], at the foot of [[Mount Telethrium]], and opposite [[Antron]] on the [[ancient Thessaly|Thessalian]] coast. From this town the whole northern extremity of Euboea was named [[Histiaeotis (Euboea)|Histiaeotis]] (Ἱστιαιῶτις, {{Langx|grc-x-ionic|Ἱστιαιῆτις}}<ref name="Herodotus">{{Cite Herodotus|8.23}}</ref>) According to some it was a colony from the [[ancient Attica|Attic]] [[deme]] of [[Hestiaea (Attica)|Histiaea]];<ref>{{Cite Strabo|x. p.445}}</ref> according to others it was founded by the Thessalian [[Perrhaebi]].<ref>''Scymn. Ch.'' 578.</ref> Another foundation story had it that the name Histiaea is said to  derive from the mythical figure [[Histiaea (mythology)|Histiaea]], the daughter of [[Hyrieus]].<ref>[[Eustathius of Thessalonica]] on [[Homer]], p. 280</ref><ref>Women of classical mythology: a biographical dictionary By Robert E. Bell  Page 247 (1993)</ref> It was one of the most ancient of the Euboean cities. It occurs in the [[Catalogue of Ships]] in the ''[[Iliad]]'', where [[Homer]] gives it the epithet of πολυστάφυλος (rich in grapes);<ref>{{Cite Iliad|2.537}}</ref> and the ''[[Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax]]'' mentions it as one of the four cities of Euboea.<ref>''[[Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax]]'' 22</ref> It was an important city in [[classical antiquity]] due to its strategic location at the entrance of the [[North Euboean Gulf]], in the middle of a large and fertile plain.<ref name=princeton>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0006%3Aentry%3Dhistiaia HISTIAIA (Orei) Euboia, Greece], entry in The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites.</ref>

After the [[Battle of Artemisium]] (480&nbsp;BC), when the Grecian fleet sailed southwards, Histiaea was occupied by the [[ancient Persia|Persians]].<ref name=Herodotus/> Upon the expulsion of the Persians from Greece, Histiaea, with the other Euboean towns, became subject to Attica. In the revolt of Euboea from [[ancient Athens|Athens]] in 446&nbsp;BC, we may conclude that Histiaea took a prominent part, since [[Pericles]], upon the reduction of the island, expelled the inhabitants from the city, and peopled it with 2000 Athenian colonists. The expelled Histiaeans were said by [[Theopompus]] to have withdrawn to [[ancient Macedon|Macedonia]], or by [[Strabo]] to Thessaly thence they transferred the name [[Histiaeotis]].<ref>{{Cite Thucydides|1.114}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Diodorus|12.7, 22}}</ref><ref>[[Plutarch]] ''Per.'' 23; Theopomp. ''ap.'' {{Cite Strabo|x. p. 445}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Strabo|9.5.17}}</ref> From this time we find the name of the town changed to Oreus, which was originally a deme dependent upon Histiaea.<ref>{{Cite Pausanias|7|26|4}}</ref> It is true that [[Thucydides]] upon one occasion subsequently calls the town by its ancient name;<ref>{{Cite Thucydides|7.57}}</ref> but he speaks of it as Oreus, in relating the second revolt of Euboea in 411&nbsp;BC, where he says that it was the only town in the island that remained faithful to Athens.<ref>{{Cite Thucydides|8.95}}</ref> Its territory was called '''Oria''' (Ὡρία).<ref>{{Cite Strabo|x. 445}}</ref> 

At the end of the [[Peloponnesian War]], Oreus became subject to [[ancient Sparta|Sparta]]; the Athenian colonists were doubtless expelled, and a portion at least of its ancient inhabitants restored; and accordingly we read that this town remained faithful to Sparta and cherished a lasting hatred against Athens.<ref name=Diodorus>{{Cite Diodorus|15.30}}</ref> Neogenes, supported by [[Jason of Pherae]], made himself [[tyrant]] of Oreus for a time; but he was expelled by Therippidas, the Lacedaemonian commander; and the Athenian [[Chabrias]] endeavoured in vain to obtain possession of the town.<ref name=Diodorus/> But shortly afterwards, before the [[Battle of Leuctra]], Oreus revolted from Sparta.<ref>{{Cite Hellenica|5.4.56}}</ref> [[Demosthenes]] describes the conquest of Oreus by [[Philip II of Macedon]] in his 341 BC ''[[Third Philippic]]'': in the war between Philip and the Athenians, a party in Oreus was friendly to Philip; and by the aid of this monarch Philistides became tyrant of the city;<ref>Dem. ''Phil.'' iii. pp. 119, 127, ''de Cor.'' p. 248.</ref> but the Athenians, at the instigation of Demosthenes, sent an expedition against Oreus, which expelled Philistides, and, according to Charax, put him to death.<ref>Dem. ''de Cor.'' p. 252; Charax, ''ap.'' {{Cite Stephanus|''s.v.'' Ὠρέος}}</ref>

In consequence of its geographical position and its fortifications, Oreus became an important place in the subsequent wars. In the contest between [[Antigonus I Monophthalmus]] and [[Cassander]] it was besieged by the latter, who was, however, obliged to retire upon the approach of [[Ptolemy (general)|Ptolemy]], the general of Antigonus.<ref>{{Cite Diodorus|19.75, 77}}</ref> In the [[First Macedonian War]] between the [[ancient Rome|Romans]] and [[Philip V of Macedon]], it was betrayed to the former by the commander of the Macedonian garrison in 207&nbsp;BC.<ref name="auto">{{Cite Livy|28.6}}</ref> In the [[Second Macedonian War]] it was taken by the Romans by assault in 200&nbsp;BC.<ref>{{Cite Livy|31.46}}</ref> Soon afterwards, in 196&nbsp;BC, it was declared free by [[Titus Quinctius Flamininus]] along with the other Grecian states.<ref>{{Cite Polybius|18.28, 30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Livy|33.31, 34}}</ref> [[Pliny the Elder]] mentions it among the cities of Euboea no longer existent in his time {{circa|77&nbsp;CE}},<ref>{{Cite Pliny|4.21.21}}</ref> but it still occurs in the lists of [[Ptolemy]] writing in the second century&nbsp;CE, under the corrupt form of Σωρεός - '''Soreus''' or '''Soreos'''.<ref>{{Cite Ptolemy|3.15.25}}</ref>

[[Strabo]] says that Oreus was situated upon a lofty hill named [[Drymus (Euboea)|Drymus]].<ref>{{Cite Strabo|x. p. 445}}</ref> [[Livy]] describes it as having two citadels, one overhanging the sea and the other in the middle of the city.<ref name="auto"/>

The present towns [[Oreoi]] and [[Istiaia]] in northern Euboea were named after this city. The city is the title of a [[titular see]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/d2o23.html|title=Oreus (Titular See) [Catholic-Hierarchy]|website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref> Its site is located near the kastro of the modern village of Oreoi.<ref>{{Cite DARE|22749}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Barrington|55}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of ancient Greek cities]]

==References==
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{{DGRG|title=Oreus}}

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[[Category:Populated places in ancient Euboea]]
[[Category:Former populated places in Greece]]
[[Category:Places in the Iliad]]
[[Category:Athenian colonies]]
[[Category:Catholic titular sees in Europe]]
[[Category:Istiaia-Aidipsos]]