Orestae

• a people of Macedonia, Liv. 33, 34; Plin. 4, 10, 17, § 35; Curt. 4, 13, 28.

ORESTAE(Ὀρέσται, Hecat. ap. Steph. B. s. v.;Thuc. 2.80; Plb. 18.30; Strab. 7. p. 326, 9. p. 434; Plin. Nat. 4.17), a people who are shown by Thucydides (l. c.) to have bordered upon the Macedonian Paravaei, and who partly, perhaps, as having been originally an Epirote tribe (Steph. B. s. v. terms them a Molossian tribe), were united with the other Epirots, under their prince Antiochus, in support of the expedition of Cnemus and the Ambraciots against Acarnania. Afterwards they were incorporated in the Macedonian kingdom. In the peace finally granted to Philip, B.C. 196, by the Romans, the Orestae were declared free, because they had been the first to revolt. (Liv. 33.34.)

ORESTIS(Ὀρεστίς, Ptol. 3.13. § § 5, 22; Steph. B. s. v.;Liv. 27.33, 31.40) or ORESTIAS(Ὀρεστίας, Strab. 7. p. 326), was the name given to the district which they occupied, which, though it is not named by Livy and Diodorus among the countries which entered into the composition of the Fourth Macedonia, was probably included in it, because the greater part, at least, of Orestis was situated to the E. of Pindus. This subdivision of Upper Macedonia is represented by the modern districts of Grámista, Anaselítza, and Kastoría. (Leake, Northern Greece, vol. 3. p. 305, vol. iv. pp. 121--124.)

(Ορέσται). A people of northern Epirus, originally independent of the Macedonian kings, though afterwards subjected to their dominion. At a later period, having revolted under the protection of a Roman force, they were declared free on the conclusion of peace between Philip and the Romans (Livy, xxxiii. 34). Their country apparently contained but few towns. Among these Orestia is named by Stephanus Byzantinus, who declares it to have been the birthplace of Ptolemy, the son of Lagus. Its foundation was ascribed by tradition to Orestes.