Ancient Greek NGC Certified AR Tetrobol of Histiaea / Histiaia

Oreus, also known as Oreos in Ancient Greek, was initially Histiaea or Histiaia before the 5th century BC. Positioned near the northern coast of ancient Euboea, it held strategic importance at the entrance of the North Euboean Gulf. Histiaea, among the oldest Euboean cities, had diverse origin stories, possibly a colony from the Attic deme of Histiaea or founded by the Thessalian Perrhaebi. The Iliad's Catalogue of Ships describes it as "rich in grapes," and the Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax lists it among Euboea's four cities. The city derived its name from the nymph Histiaea, daughter of Hyrieus, a son of Poseidon, who became famous for a locked treasure chamber filled with wealth, later discovered to be stolen by builders Trophonius and Agamedes. In a bid to catch the thief, Hyrieus set a snare, trapping Agamedes, and Trophonius, to conceal the thief's identity, cut off his brother's head before mysteriously vanishing himself.