PYLOS, a city on the coast of Messenia, fifteen miles south of Cyparissia, is usually considered as the residence of Nestor, where he was visited by Telemachus. There were two other places of the same name, one in Elis, and another in Triphylia, which claimed this honour; but all the circumstances which the poet states suit best the city in Messenia. The quickness of the voyage between Itaca and this southern Pylos is one of the principal objections; but it must be recollected that Athenæ directed the vessel. Strabo, however, believed that the city in Triphylia, which seems to have been unknown to Pausanias, was the residence of Nestor; and he satisfied himself by the following reasoning. The description of Homer shows that the dominions of Nestor stretched on both sides of the river Alpheus; but this suits neither with Messenia nor with Elis. It was not upon the coast, for a messenger was sent to the ships to invite the companions of Telemachus to supper; and when Telemachus returned from Sparta he caused Pisistratus to drive his chariot directly to the harbour, so that the road to the harbour and city could not have been the same. The return of Telemachus to Itaca is also brought forward as a proof, for he is made to pass Cruni, Chalcis, Phene, and the coast of Elis, which, according to Strabo, he could only have done if he started from the Triphylia Pylos. Again, in the war of the Pylians against the Eleians, the time required to drive the booty, which consisted amongst other things of swine, was so short that they could not have reached the Messenian Pylos.