ORCHOMENUS (on coins and inscriptions, Erchomenos), the name borne by two cities of ancient Greece.
I. A Boeotian city, between the Cephissus river and its tribu tary, the Melas, on a long, narrow hill projecting south from Mt. Acontium, on every side admirably situated to be the stronghold of an early kingdom. The acropolis is situated at the north end of the ridge.
In prehistoric times Orchomenus is revealed alike by archaeo logical finds and by legends, as one of the most prosperous towns of Greece, once a continental and a maritime power. It controlled the greater part of Boeotia, especially the fertile lowlands of Lake Copal's, upon the drainage of which its early kings bestowed great care. Its original inhabitants, the Minyae, were a seafaring people, and Orchomenus remained a member of the Calaurian League of naval States till historical times. Then, however, Orchomenus no longer figures as a great commercial State, and its political supremacy in Boeotia has passed to the people of Thebes. Never theless, it long exercised some overlordship over towns of north ern Boeotia, and an independent policy within the Boeotian League. In 447 it was the headquarters of the oligarchic exiles who freed Boeotia from Athenian control. In the 4th century Orchomenus was actuated throughout by an anti-Theban policy, partly a recrudescence of old rivalry, but chiefly inspired by aversion to the new democracy at Thebes. In the Corinthian war the city supported Lysander and Agesilaus in their attacks upon Thebes, and Orchomenus again sided with the Spartans in 379. After the battle of Leuctra the Thebans, first, on Epaminondas's advice, readmitted it into the Boeotian League, but in 368 de stroyed the town. By 353 it had been rebuilt, probably by the Phocians, as a bulwark against Thebes. After the subjection of the Phocians in 346 it was again razed by the Thebans, but was restored by Philip of Macedon as a check upon Thebes (338). In 85 B.C. Orchomenus provided the battle-field on which the Roman general Sulla destroyed an army of Mithridates VI. of Pontus. But its later history is obscure, and its decadence is attested by the encroachments of Lake Copal's. Since mediaeval times the site has been occupied by a village named Skripou. Since 1867 drain age operations have been resumed, and an English company has reclaimed much fertile land. The so-called "treasury of Minyas,"
outside the ancient city at Mycenae (see MYCENAE), is almost exactly the same size as the "treasury of Atreus." The admiration of Pausanias is justified by the beautiful ornamentation of the roof of the inner chamber brought to light by Schliemann. Exca vation by Doctors Furtwangler and Bulle revealed three prehis toric settlements, superposed. The first represents the Neolithic "painted-ware" culture of Thessaly and other parts of north-east Greece; in the second, oval huts replace the earlier round ones, and dull smeared pottery ("Urfirniss") the painted ware; the third has rectangular houses and characteristic grey "Minyan" pottery, finely modelled but without ornament. All these cultures precede the "Late Minoan" occupation, to which the great "Treasury" tomb belongs.
The worship of the Charites (see GRACES) was the great cult of Orchomenus, and the site of the temple is now occupied by a chapel of the Virgin rijs The Charites were worshipped under the form of rude stones, which had fallen from heaven during the reign of Eteocles; and it was not till the time of Pausanias that statues of the goddesses were placed in the temple. Near this was another temple, dedicated to Dionysus, in whose festival, the Agrionia (q.v.), are apparent the traces of early human sacrifice.
2. An Arcadian city north of Mantineia and west of Stym phalus. Its district was mountainous, but had two valleys—the northern containing a lake drained by a katavothron; the southern below the city, separated from Mantineia by the ridge Anchisia. The old city, in a strong situation, was a ruin in Strabo's time. Till the late 7th century the kings of Orchomenus held some sort of sovereignty over all Arcadia. In the 5th century it was over shadowed by Mantineia, and in 418 B.C. Orchomenus fell for a time into its power; in 37o it held aloof from the new Arcadian League which Mantineia was organizing. About this time it also lost some possessions on the east to the new Arcadian capital, Megalopolis. In the 3rd century it belonged in turn to the Aetolian League, to the Lacedaemonians, and, since 222, to the Achaean League. Its history after it passed under the Roman rule is quite obscure.