or NAUPACTUM, in Ancient Geography, a city of Aetolia, at the mouth of the Evenus. The word is derived from ναῦς and ἀναγράφειν, because it was there that the Heraclidae built the first ship which carried them to Peloponnesus. It first belonged to the Locri Ozolae, and afterwards fell into the hands of the Athenians, who gave it to the Messenians, who had been driven from Peloponnesus by the Lacedaemonians. It became the property of the Lacedaemonians after the battle of Egoptomos, and it was restored to the Locri. Philip of Macedon afterwards took it, and gave it to the Aetolians; from which circumstance it has generally been called one of the chief cities of their country. E. Long. 22° 20'. N. Lat. 38° 0'.

There was on the shore a temple of Neptune, and near it a cave filled with offerings, and dedicated to Venus, where widows resorted to request new husbands of the goddess. Pausan. lib. x. p. 898.