PYLUS, in Ancient Geography, a town of Elis; its ruins to be seen on the road from Olympia to Elis, (Pausanias); situated between the mouths of the Peneus and Selus, near Mount Scollis, (Strabo). Built by Pylas of Megara, and destroyed by Hercules, (Pausanias). Another Pylus in Triphylia, (Strabo); by which the Alpheus runs, (Pausanias); on the confines of Arcadia, and not in Arcadia itself, (id.).—A third in Messenia, (Strabo, Ptolemy); situated at the foot of Mount Regaleus on the sea coast, over-against the island Sphagca or Sphacteris: built by Pylas, and settled by a colony of Leleges from Megara; but thence expelled by Neleus and the Pelasgi, and therefore called Nelea, (Homer). A fazy territory. The royal residence of Neleus, and of Nestor his son: the more ancient and more excellent Pylus; whence the proverb Pylus ante Pylium (Aristophanes, Plutarch), used when we want to repress the arrogance and pride of any one: said to be afterwards called Coryphaesium. It made a figure in the Peloponnesian war; for being rebuilt by the Athenians, it proved of great benefit to them for the space of 15 years, and of much annoyance to the Lacedemonians, (Thucydides). All the three Pyli were subject to Nestor, (Strabo).