Narycus

Narycus, NARYX or NARYCIUM (Νάρυκος, Strab. ix. p.425; Νάρυχ, Steph. B. sub voce Narycium, Plin. Nat. 4.7. s. 12; in Diod. 14.82 and 16.38, Ἄρυκας and Ἄρύκα are false readings for Νάρυκα· Eth. Ναρύκιος), a town of the Opuntian Locrians, the reputed birthplace of Ajax, son of Oïleus (Strab. Steph. B. sub voce ll. cc.), who is hence called by Ovid (Ov. Met. 14.468) Narycius heros. In B.C. 395, Ismenias, a Boeotian commander, undertook an expedition against Phocis, and defeated the Phocians near Naryx of Locris, whence we may conclude with Leake that Naryx was near the frontier of Phocis. (Diod. 14.82.) In 352 Naryx was taken by Phaÿllus, the Phocian commander. (Diod. 16.38.) It is placed by some at Tálanda, but by Leake at the small village of Kalapódhi, where there are a few ancient remains. (Northern Greece, vol. ii. p. 187.) As Locri in Bruttium in Italy was, according to some of the ancients, a colony of Naryx (Verg. A. 3.399), the epithet of Narycian is frequently given to the Bruttian pitch. (Verg. G. 2.438; Col. 10.386; Plin. Nat. 14.20. s. 25.)