Nestor

, a son of Neleus and Chloris, nephew to Pelias and grandson to Neptune. He had 11 brothers, who were all killed, with his father, by Hercules. His tender age detained him at home, and was the cause of his preservation. The conqueror spared his life, and placed him on the throne of Pylos. He married Eurydice the daughter of Clymenes, or, according to others, Anaxibia the daughter of Atreus. He early distinguished himself in the field of battle, and was present at the nuptials of Pirithous, when a bloody battle was fought between the Lapithæ and Centaurs. As king of Pylos and Me enia he led his subjects to the Trojan war, where he distinguished himself among the rest of the Grecian chiefs by eloquence, addre , wisdom, justice, and an uncommon prudence of mind. Homer displays his character as the most perfect of all his heroes; and Agamemnon exclaims, that if he had 10 generals like Nestor, he should soon see the walls of Troy reduced to ashes. After the Trojan war, Nestor retired to Greece, where he enjoyed, in the bosom of his family, the peace and tranquillity which were due to his wisdom and to his old age. The manner and the time of his death are unknown; the ancients are all agreed that he lived three generations of men, which length of time some suppose to be 300 years, though more probably only 90, allowing 30 years for each generation. From that circumstance, therefore, it was usual among the Greeks and the Latins, when they wished a long and happy life to their friends, to wish them to see the years of Nestor. He had two daughters, Pisidice and Poly caste; and seven sons, Perseus, Straticus, Aretus, Echephron, Pis i stratus, Anti loch us, and Trasimedes. Nestor was one of the Argonauts, according to Valerius Flaccus , bk. 1 , li. 380 , . — Dictys Cretensis , bk. 1 , ch. 13 , . — Homer , Iliad , bk. 1 , . ; Ody ey , bks. 3 & 11.— Hyginus , fables 10 & 273.— Pausanias , bk. 3 , ch. 26 ; bk. 4 , chs. 3 & 31.— Apollo dor us , bk. 1 , ch. 9 ; bk. 2 , ch. 7 .— Ovid , Metamorphoses , bk. 12 , li. 162 , . — Horace , bk. 1 , ode 15.――A poet of Lycaonia in the age of the emperor Severus. He was father to Pisander, who, under the emperor Alexander, wrote some fabulous stories.――One of the body-guards of Alexander. Polyænus.