Neleus
（
Νηλεύς).
1.
The son of Poseidon and Tyro, daughter of Salmoneus, and brother of Pelias. The brothers
were exposed after birth by their mother, who afterwards married Cretheus of Iolcus; they
were found by a herdsman and brought up by him until they grew up and were acknowledged by
their mother. After Cretheus's death they quarrelled about the possession of Iolcus; and
Neleus, together with Melampus and Bias , the sons of his half-brother Amythaon, retired into
exile in Messenia, where Aphareus, Tyro's cousin, allowed them to occupy Pylus. By Chloris,
daughter of Amphion, the king of the Minyan Orchomenus (it is only a later myth that
identifies him with Amphion of Thebes), he became father of twelve sons, of whom Periclymenus
and
Nestor (q.v.) were the most celebrated, and one
daughter, the beautiful Pero, bride of Bias. (See
Melampus.) On his refusing to purify Heracles from the murder of Iphitus, Heracles
invaded his country and slew all his sons, except Nestor , who chanced to be absent from home
at the time. Nestor became the champion and avenger of the aged Neleus when the Epeans and
their king Augeas, emboldened by his misfortune, ventured on acts of injustice towards him.
According to one account, it was Neleus who renewed the Olympian Games, and died at Corinth,
where, it was said, he was buried at the isthmus; according to others, he was slain along
with his sons by Heracles.
2.
The younger son of Codrus, who disputed the right of his elder brother Medon to the throne.
The Delphic oracle declared against him, and he migrated to Ionia, where he founded the city
of Miletus (
Herod.ix. 97).
3.
A disciple of Aristotle and Theophrastus. See
Aristoteles, p. 129.
