Nestor
Nestor, a mythical king of Pylus, who outlived three generations
- a son of Neleus, and king of Pylus, famous among the heroes before Troy for his wisdom and eloquence. He is said to have lived through three generations of men: ipsi Agamemnoni, regi regum, fuit honestum, habere aliquem in consiliis capiendis Nestorem, Cic. Fam. 9, 14, 2; cf. id. Sen. 10, 31; id. Tusc. 5, 3, 7: licet eloquio fidum quoque Nestora vincat, Ov. M. 13, 63; Prop. 2, 10, 46 (3, 5, 30); cf. Hor. C. 2, 9, 13; Tib. 4, 1, 49.—Nestoris aetas, the age of Nestor, prov. for a long life, Mart. 2, 64, 3; cf. id. 7, 96, 7; 5, 58, 5 al.: vivat Pacuvius, quaeso, vel Nestora totum, i. e. a whole life of Nestor, Juv. 12, 128.—Hence,
- II Nestŏrĕus, a, um, adj., of Nestor: senecta, Mart. 9, 30, 1; Stat. S. 1, 3, 110.
- , Νέστωρ, a mythical king of Pylus, who outlived three generations, C., H., V., O., Iu.—Prov.: vivere Nestora totum, three generations, Iu.
(Νέστωρ). Son of Neleus and Chloris, ruler of the Messenian and Triphylian Pylus, and later also, after the extinction of the royal family there, of Messenia. He was married to Eurydicé, by whom he had seven sons and two daughters. He was the only one of twelve sons of Neleus who escaped being slain by Heracles, since he was, it is said, living at the time among the Gerenians in Messenia, from whom he derives the name Γερήνιος, given him in Homer. After this disaster, the king of the Epeans, Augeas, illegally kept back a fourhorse chariot which Neleus had sent to Elis to compete in a contest. Nestor , as yet hardly a youth, retaliated by driving off the herds of the Epeans; upon which the latter with a large army besieged the Pylian fortress of Thyroessa on the Eurotas. Nestor formed one of the relieving army, serving as a foot-soldier, owing to his father's having, from regard to his youth, had the war-horses concealed from him. He slew in battle Augeas's son-in-law, and, fighting from the dead man's chariot, won a most brilliant victory, so that the Pylians offered thanks to him among men just as they offered them to Zeus among the gods. In like manner in the war against the Arcadians, when he was the youngest of all the combatants, he killed the gigantic and much-dreaded hero Ereuthalion. He also took an important part in the battle between the Centaurs and the Lapithae, and is mentioned as among the Argonauts (Val. Flac. i. 380). In old age, when he was ruling over the third generation of his people, he was involved in the expedition against Troy, owing, as the story went, to the obligation incurred by his son Antilochus as a suitor of Helen; with Odysseus he gained the help of Achilles and Patroclus for the undertaking, and himself sailed, in the company of his sons Antilochus and Thrasymedes, with ninety ships to the seat of war at Ilium. Here, according to Homer, “ Nestor the horseman,” in spite of his great age, took a prominent part among the heroes in council and battle alike: the qualities which adorned him were wisdom, justice, eloquence, “from his lips flows language sweeter than honey” (Il. i. 248), experience in war, unwearied activity, and courage. All valued and loved him, and none more than Agamemhon, who wished that he had ten such counsellors: in which case, he said, Troy would soon fall (Il. ii. 372). He is so great a favourite with Homer that in ancient times it was conjectured that the poet was himself a native of Pylos. After the destruction of Troy he returned in safety with his son Thrasymedes to Pylos, Antilochus (q.v.) having for the sake of his father, who was in sore peril, sacrificed his own life in battle against Memnon. Ten years afterwards, Telemachus found him still at Pylos, amidst his children, in the enjoyment of a cheerful and prosperous old age. On the “cup of Nestor ,” see toreutice.
- the Homeric hero, ancestor of Pisistratus: Hdt. 5.65
- son of Neleus: Paus. 4.3.1, Apollod. 1.9.9, Apollod. 2.7.2
- brought up among the Gerenians: Paus. 3.26.8, Apollod. 1.9.9, Apollod. 2.7.2
- succeeds to kingdom of Messenia: Paus. 4.3.1
- receives Messenia in trust from Herakles: Paus. 2.18.7
- marries Anaxibia: Apollod. 1.9.9
- father of Antilochus: Apollod. 3.10.7
- son of Neleus and Chloris, leader of the Pylians against Troy: Apollod. E.3.11
- admonishes Agamemnon and Achilles: Paus. 10.29.10
- tends wounded Machaon: Paus. 4.3.2
- brings back bones of Machaon: Paus. 3.26.10
- has a prosperous voyage from Troy: Apollod. E.5.23
- talks with Telemachus: Paus. 10.25.2
- his house and tomb at Pylos: Paus. 4.3.7, Paus. 4.36.2
- cave in which his cows were stalled: Paus. 4.36.2
- portraits of: Paus. 4.31.11, Paus. 4.36.2, Paus. 5.25.8, Paus. 10.25.11
- his sons Thrasymedes and Antilochus: Paus. 4.31.11
- his descendants expelled from Messenia by Heraclids: Paus. 2.18.8