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

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| image = Image:AR tetrobol from Histiaea.jpg

| caption_left = O: Maenad with wine-wreath

| caption_right = R: nymph Histiaea seated on stern of galley

IΣTI / AIEΩN

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| footer = Silver tetrobol. This coin is probably a Roman imitation of an Histiaean issue struck in Macedonia during the Roman's military campaign circa 168 BC.

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Oreus or Oreos ({{langx|grc|Ὠρεός|Ōreos}}), prior to the 5th century 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, at the foot of Mount Telethrium, and opposite Antron on the Thessalian coast. From this town the whole northern extremity of Euboea was named Histiaeotis (Ἱστιαιῶτις, {{Langx|grc-x-ionic|Ἱστιαιῆτις}}{{Cite Herodotus|8.23}}) According to some it was a colony from the Attic deme of Histiaea;{{Cite Strabo|x. p.445}} according to others it was founded by the Thessalian Perrhaebi.Scymn. Ch. 578. Another foundation story had it that the name Histiaea is said to derive from the mythical figure Histiaea, the daughter of Hyrieus.Eustathius of Thessalonica on Homer, p. 280Women of classical mythology: a biographical dictionary By Robert E. Bell Page 247 (1993) 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);{{Cite Iliad|2.537}} and the Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax mentions it as one of the four cities of Euboea.Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax 22 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.[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.

After the Battle of Artemisium (480 BC), when the Grecian fleet sailed southwards, Histiaea was occupied by the Persians. Upon the expulsion of the Persians from Greece, Histiaea, with the other Euboean towns, became subject to Attica. In the revolt of Euboea from Athens in 446 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 Macedonia, or by Strabo to Thessaly thence they transferred the name Histiaeotis.{{Cite Thucydides|1.114}}{{Cite Diodorus|12.7, 22}}Plutarch Per. 23; Theopomp. ap. {{Cite Strabo|x. p. 445}}{{Cite Strabo|9.5.17}} From this time we find the name of the town changed to Oreus, which was originally a deme dependent upon Histiaea.{{Cite Pausanias|7|26|4}} It is true that Thucydides upon one occasion subsequently calls the town by its ancient name;{{Cite Thucydides|7.57}} but he speaks of it as Oreus, in relating the second revolt of Euboea in 411 BC, where he says that it was the only town in the island that remained faithful to Athens.{{Cite Thucydides|8.95}} Its territory was called Oria (Ὡρία).{{Cite Strabo|x. 445}}

At the end of the Peloponnesian War, Oreus became subject to 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.{{Cite Diodorus|15.30}} 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. But shortly afterwards, before the Battle of Leuctra, Oreus revolted from Sparta.{{Cite Hellenica|5.4.56}} 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;Dem. Phil. iii. pp. 119, 127, de Cor. p. 248. but the Athenians, at the instigation of Demosthenes, sent an expedition against Oreus, which expelled Philistides, and, according to Charax, put him to death.Dem. de Cor. p. 252; Charax, ap. {{Cite Stephanus|s.v. Ὠρέος}}

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, the general of Antigonus.{{Cite Diodorus|19.75, 77}} In the First Macedonian War between the Romans and Philip V of Macedon, it was betrayed to the former by the commander of the Macedonian garrison in 207 BC.{{Cite Livy|28.6}} In the Second Macedonian War it was taken by the Romans by assault in 200 BC.{{Cite Livy|31.46}} Soon afterwards, in 196 BC, it was declared free by Titus Quinctius Flamininus along with the other Grecian states.{{Cite Polybius|18.28, 30}}{{Cite Livy|33.31, 34}} Pliny the Elder mentions it among the cities of Euboea no longer existent in his time {{circa|77 CE}},{{Cite Pliny|4.21.21}} but it still occurs in the lists of Ptolemy writing in the second century CE, under the corrupt form of Σωρεός - Soreus or Soreos.{{Cite Ptolemy|3.15.25}}

Strabo says that Oreus was situated upon a lofty hill named Drymus.{{Cite Strabo|x. p. 445}} Livy describes it as having two citadels, one overhanging the sea and the other in the middle of the city.

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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/d2o23.html|title=Oreus (Titular See) [Catholic-Hierarchy]|website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}} Its site is located near the kastro of the modern village of Oreoi.{{Cite DARE|22749}}{{Cite Barrington|55}}