In antiquity, Livadeia was one of the Boeotian towns. Boeotians were an ancient Greek tribe which was a branch of the Dorian tribe. In Livadeia there was an oracle which was known by the name Trofonion. The Trofonion oracle was very important, although not as important as the Delphi oracle which was located nearby in the north. During the Middle Ages Livadeia was an insignificant town until about the thirteenth century when it became the capital of the Catalonian knights' domain. The Catalonian knights had conquered central Greece when they defeated the Lombard knights in a battle. Later, during the 15th century, the district was conquered by the Ottomans.