Nestor
Family: Messenians · Role: mythic king · First appears: Book 2 · Chapter 2
After Pylos was taken by Hercules, Nestor reportedly fled to Gerenia, where tradition says he recovered the bones of Machaon. When the house of Aphareus lost its male line, the kingdom of the Messenians devolved upon Nestor, son of Neleus. Homer calls him king of sandy Pylos.
In Book 5, when Hector challenged a Greek to single combat, Nestor was among those who drew lots to choose the champion. After Nestor’s death and return home, the Dorians and Heraclidæ drove Neleus’s descendants from Messenia two generations later.
Relationship record
Life events
- Nestor recovered Machaon's bones.(Book 3 · Chapter 26 · 📍 Gerenia)
- With: Machaon
- “And the tradition is that Nestor recovered the bones of Machaon.”
- Nestor reportedly fled to Gerenia after Pylos was taken by Hercules.(Book 3 · Chapter 26 · 📍 Gerenia)
- “others that he fled here when Pylos was taken by Hercules.”
- The house of Aphareus loses its male line, and Nestor inherits the kingdom of the Messenians.(Book 4 · Chapter 3 · 📍 Messenia)
- The Dorians and Heraclidæ drive Neleus’s descendants from Messenia after Nestor’s death.(Book 4 · Chapter 3 · 📍 Messenia)
- With: Neleus
- “the death of Nestor after his return home, the expedition of the Dorians and return of the Heraclidæ two generations afterwards drove out the descendants of Neleus from Messenia.”
- Greek warriors drew lots to choose a champion for single combat with Hector.(Book 5 · Chapter 25)
Book 2 · Chapter 2
- with Sisyphus (Sisyphus did not show Neleus’s tomb to Nestor.) “As to Neleus they say that his tomb was not even shewn to Nestor by Sisyphus: for it was to be unknown to all alike.”
Book 2 · Chapter 18
- with Hercules (Hercules entrusted Pylos to Nestor.) “it was given to Nestor as a charge by Hercules when he took Pylos”
- with Alcmæon (son of Sillus) (interaction) “the descendants of Nestor from Messenia, viz. Alcmæon the son of Sillus”
- with Pisistratus (son) (interaction) “the descendants of Nestor from Messenia, viz. Alcmæon the son of Sillus the son of Thrasymedes, and Pisistratus the son of Pisistratus”
- with Pæon (interaction) “the descendants of Nestor from Messenia, viz. Alcmæon the son of Sillus the son of Thrasymedes, and Pisistratus the son of Pisistratus, and the sons of Pæon the son of Antilochus”
- with Melanthus (interaction) “the descendants of Nestor from Messenia, viz. Alcmæon the son of Sillus the son of Thrasymedes, and Pisistratus the son of Pisistratus, and the sons of Pæon the son of Antilochus, and besides them Melanthus the son of Andropompus”
Book 3 · Chapter 26
- with Machaon (Nestor recovered Machaon's bones.) “And the tradition is that Nestor recovered the bones of Machaon.”
Book 4 · Chapter 3
- parent: Neleus “Nestor the son of Neleus”
- with Machaon (Nestor is described as showing kindness to Machaon, who is characterized as a neighbouring king of the same tribe.) “Nestor is consoling Machaon, who was wounded with an arrow. He would not have exhibited such kindness except to a neighbour and king of the same tribe.”
Book 4 · Chapter 31
- child: Thrasymedes “of those that dwelt at Pylos Nestor and Thrasymedes and Antilochus, who were preferred to the sons of Nestor partly because they were older”
- child: Antilochus “of those that dwelt at Pylos Nestor and Thrasymedes and Antilochus, who were preferred to the sons of Nestor partly because they were older”
Book 4 · Chapter 36
- with Homer (Homer repeatedly mentions and characterizes Nestor.) “My authority is Homer who, whenever he mentions Nestor, always calls him the king of sandy Pylos.”
Book 5 · Chapter 25
- with Hector (Nestor is shown conducting the lots for the combat involving Hector.) “And right opposite on another basement is Nestor throwing the lots into his helmet.”
Book 10 · Chapter 25
- with Menelaus (They were sailing together.) “And Menelaus, who was up to this time sailing with Nestor, was now left behind, that he might discharge all due funeral rites for Phrontis.”
- with Telemachus (Nestor tells Telemachus about Phrontis.) “Homer has represented Nestor among other things telling Telemachus about Phrontis, how he was the son of Onetor, and pilot of Menelaus, and most able in his art, and how he died as he sailed past Sunium in Attica.”
- with Menelaus (interaction) “And Menelaus, who was up to this time sailing with Nestor, was now left behind”
Book 10 · Chapter 29
- with Agamemnon (Nestor chided Agamemnon.) “in his chiding of Agamemnon and Achilles, Nestor uses the following words”
- with Achilles (Nestor chided Achilles.) “in his chiding of Agamemnon and Achilles, Nestor uses the following words”
⭐ Constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places →
Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.