PYLUS, in Ancient Geography, a town of Elis; its
ruins to be seen on the road from Olympia to Elis, (Pau-
sanias); situated between the mouths of the Peneus and
Selles, 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 Ægaleus
on the sea-coast, over-against the island Sphæra
or Sphæteria: built by Pylas, and settled by a colony
of Leleges from Megara; but thence expelled by Ne-
leus and the Pelasgi, and therefore called Nelea, (Ho-
mer). A sandy territory. The royal residence of Ne-
leus, and of Nestor his son: the more ancient and more
excellent Pylus; whence the proverb Pylus ante Pylum,
(Aristophanes, Plutarch), used when we want to re-
press the arrogance and pride of any one: said to be
afterwards called Coryphæum. 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 Lacedæmonians,
(Thucydides). All the three Pyls were subject to Ne-
stor, (Strabo).