NA´RYCUS
NA´RYCUS,
NARYX or NARY´CIUM (
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.)
