ORO'PUS (Lat., from Gk. Oropos). A town in Northwestern Attica, on the border of neotia, celebrated for its temple and oracle of Amphiaraus. Its situation led to constant strife between the Thebans and the Athenians for its possession. The former held it B.C. 412-383 and 366-338. Subsequently the town scents to have been for a long time independent or reckoned in the Bmotian confederation. It had been re stored to the Athenians before the second century A.D., for the traveler Pausanias includes it in Attica. The town lay on the seacoast in a little plain, but the temple of Amphiaraus was about four miles inland, in one of the beautiful wooded valleys which abound in this region, on a terrace above a little stream. it was excavated by the Greek Arefueological Society in 1S84-87. It contained a temple and altar. a colonnade, and small theatre, and we hear also of baths for men and women. and other buildings for the sick, who came to consult the god, but of these no certain remains have been found. Many inscriptions show the popularity of the place and throw light on the organization and ritual. It was a resort
of the sick, for Amphiaraus was a god of heal ing, and, like _Eseulapius, prescribed for his wor shipers through dreams. He was also a seer and might be consulted on other affairs. The inquirer, after paying a fee and offering sacrifice, slept in the temple. and his dreams contained the answer to his question. The fame of the shrine was such that Sulla granted the dwellers on the territory of the god exemption from taxation, and his action was later (p.c. 73) confirmed by the Senate after a hearing by the consuls. Sty Prel ler. "Veber Oropos und das Amphiareion." in /knit lite der sdcligischen GeRell.crhaft der Wis sensehotten (Leipzig. 18521 ; Era zer, Pow:(1 ans. vol. ii. (London, 19S1: Diittbach. De Oropo et .1 Mph if/ rai SaCrO ( Paris, excavations are described and the inscriptions published in the Peaktika of the lireek Arehovological Society for 1554, 1887, 1590. and the rchnio (Athens, 1854-92).