View source for Neleus

{{short description|Figure from Greek mythology}}
{{other uses}}
'''Neleus''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|n|iː|l|i|ə|s|,_|ˈ|n|iː|lj|uː|s}}; {{Langx|grc|Νηλεύς}}) was a mythological king of [[Pylos]]. In some accounts, he was also counted as an Argonaut instead of his son, [[Nestor (mythology)|Nestor]].<ref>[[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#10 10] & [https://topostext.org/work/206#14.4 14]</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=[[Tzetzes]]|first=John|title=Allegories of the Iliad|publisher=Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library|year=2015|isbn=978-0-674-96785-4|location=Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England|pages=39, Prologue 516|translator-last=Goldwyn|translator-first=Adam|translator-last2=Kokkini|translator-first2=Dimitra}}</ref>

== Family ==
Neleus was the son of [[Poseidon]] and [[Tyro]], and brother of [[Pelias]].<ref>Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#157 157]</ref> According to [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], Neleus was the son of [[Cretheus]], King of [[Iolcus]], who was himself a son of [[Aeolus (son of Hippotes)|Aeolus]].<ref>[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.4.2.5&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Neleus 4.2.5]</ref>

With [[Chloris of Pylos|Chloris]],<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Odyssey]]'' 11.284: "the youngest daughter"; [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+9.36.8&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Neleus 9.36.8]; [[Scholia]] ad ''Odyssey'' [https://archive.org/details/scholiagraecain06dindgoog/page/496/mode/1up?view=theater 11.281] citing [[Pherecydes of Athens|Pherecydes]] [https://books.google.com/books?id=j0nRE4C2WBgC&pg=PA338 fr. 117= Fowler (2013), vol. 1 p. 338]; see [[Strabo]], 8.3.19</ref> Neleus was the father of [[Pero (princess)|Pero]], [[Periclymenus]],<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+1.9.16&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Neleus 1.9.16]</ref> [[Alastor]], [[Chromius]], [[Asterion|Asterius]], [[Deimachus (mythology)|Deimachus]], [[Epilaus]], [[Eurybius]], [[Eurymenes]], [[Evagoras (mythology)|Evagoras]], [[Phrasius]], [[Pylaon]], [[Taurus (mythology)|Taurus]] and Nestor. Some say that Chloris was mother only of three of Neleus' sons (Nestor, Periclymenus and Chromius), whereas the rest were his children by different women,<ref>Aristarchus in [[scholia]] on [[Homer]], ''[[Iliad]]'' 11.692</ref><ref>Scholia on [[Apollonius Rhodius]], 1.152 — apparently following ''Odyssey'' 11.285, where only Nestor, Chromius and Periclymenus are enumerated</ref> but other accounts explicitly disagree with the statement.<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], 1.9.9; [[Diodorus Siculus]], 4.68.6; Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#10 10],  [https://topostext.org/work/206#97 97] & [https://topostext.org/work/206#273 273]</ref> Otherwise, the mother of Nestor was called [[Polymede]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=[[Tzetzes]]|first=John|title=Allegories of the Iliad|publisher=Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library|year=2015|isbn=978-0-674-96785-4|location=Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England|pages=39, Prologue 517|translator-last=Goldwyn|translator-first=Adam|translator-last2=Kokkini|translator-first2=Dimitra}}</ref>

== Mythology ==
Tyro was married to [[Cretheus]] (with whom she had three sons, [[Aeson]], [[Pheres]], and [[Amythaon]]), though she loved [[Enipeus (mythology)|Enipeus]], a river god. She pursued Enipeus, who refused her advances. One day, [[Poseidon]], filled with lust for Tyro, disguised himself as Enipeus. From their union were born [[Pelias]] and Neleus, twin boys. Tyro exposed her sons on a mountain, but they were found and raised by a maid.

When they reached adulthood, Pelias and Neleus found their mother Tyro and then killed her stepmother, [[Sidero]], for having mistreated her. Sidero tried to hide in a temple to [[Hera]] but Pelias killed her anyway, earning himself Hera's undying hatred. Neleus and Pelias then fought for the crown, and Neleus was banished to [[Messenia]]. There he was welcomed by his cousin [[Aphareus of Messenia|Aphareus]] who gave him the maritime part of the land where he settled and established his palace. Neleus eventually became King of [[Pylos]].

[[Heracles]] later asked Neleus to cleanse him of the blood-debt he gained by killing his own wife and children, but was refused. In retaliation, he killed Neleus and his sons, except for Nestor.<ref>[[Ovid]], ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Ov.+Met.+12.536&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0028:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Neleus 12.536 ff.]; Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#31 31]</ref>

== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}

== References ==

* [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], ''The Library'' with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0021 Greek text available from the same website].
*[[Diodorus Siculus]], ''The Library of History'' translated by [[Charles Henry Oldfather]]. Twelve volumes. [[Loeb Classical Library]]. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8. [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/home.html Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site]
* Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2''. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888–1890. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0540 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Gaius Julius Hyginus]], ''Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. [https://topostext.org/work/206 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
* [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], ''Description of Greece'' with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. {{ISBN|0-674-99328-4}}. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0160 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library]
*Pausanias, ''Graeciae Descriptio.'' ''3 vols''. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903.  [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0159 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Ovid|Publius Ovidius Naso]], ''Metamorphoses'' translated by Brookes More (1859–1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0028 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
* Publius Ovidius Naso, ''Metamorphoses.'' Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0029 Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library].

== Further reading ==
{{Portal|Ancient Greece|Myths|}}
*Douglas Frame (2009). ''Hippota Nestor''. Washington, DC: Center for Hellenic Studies
*Douglas Frame (1978). ''The Myth of Return in Early Greek Epic''. New Haven: Yale University Press.
*Keith Dickson (1995). ''Nestor: Poetic Memory in Greek Epic''. NY: Garland Publishers.
*Keith Dickson (1993). "Nestor Among the Sirens", ''Oral Tradition''. 8/1: 21–58.
*Richard R. Martin (2012). Review of Douglas Frame ''Hippota Nestor'' 2009 in ''American Journal of Philology''. 133.4 (Winter 2012): 687-692
*Hanna Roisman (2005). "Nestor the Good Counselor". ''Classical Quarterly'' 55: 17-38. {{doi|10.1093/cq/bmi002}}
*Victoria Pedrick (1983). "The Paradignatic Nature of Nestor's Speech". ''Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Assn.''. 113: 55–68.
*R.M. Frazer (1971). "Nestor's Generations, ''Iliad'' 2.250-2". ''Glotta''. 49:216-8.
*V.C. Mathews (1987). "Kaukonian Dyme: Antimachus fr.27-8 and the text of Homer". ''Eranos''. 85: 91–7.
*Jack L. Davis (ed) (1998). ''Sandy Pylos: An Archaeological History from Nestor to Navarino''. Austin: University of Texas Press.
*William G. Loy (1970). ''Land of Nestor: A Physical Geography of the Southwest Peloponnesos''. Washington, DC. National Academy of Sciences.
*Carl Blegen and Marion Rawson (ed) (1966). ''Palace of Nestor at Pylos in Western Messenia'' for University of Cincinnati by Princeton University Press.

[[Category:Kings of Pylos]]
[[Category:Kings in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Aeolides]]
[[Category:Children of Poseidon]]
[[Category:Mythological Iolcians]]
[[Category:Mythology of Pylos]]
[[Category:Mythology of Heracles]]
[[Category:Fictional twins]]
[[Category:Progenitors in Greek mythology]]