Nestŏcles, a famous statuary of Greece, rival to Phidias. Pliny, bk. 34, ch. 8.
Nestor, a son of Neleus and Chloris, nephew to Pelias and grandson to Neptune. He had 11 brothers, who were all killed, with his father, by Hercules. His tender age detained him at home, and was the cause of his preservation. The conqueror spared his life, and placed him on the throne of Pylos. He married Eurydice the daughter of Clymenes, or, according to others, Anaxibia the daughter of Atreus. He early distinguished himself in the field of battle, and was present at the nuptials of Pirithous, when a bloody battle was fought between the Lapithæ and Centaurs. As king of Pylos and Messenia he led his subjects to the Trojan war, where he distinguished himself among the rest of the Grecian chiefs by eloquence, address, wisdom, justice, and an uncommon prudence of mind. Homer displays his character as the most perfect of all his heroes; and Agamemnon exclaims, that if he had 10 generals like Nestor, he should soon see the walls of Troy reduced to ashes. After the Trojan war, Nestor retired to Greece, where he enjoyed, in the bosom of his family, the peace and tranquillity which were due to his wisdom and to his old age. The manner and the time of his death are unknown; the ancients are all agreed that he lived three generations of men, which length of time some suppose to be 300 years, though more probably only 90, allowing 30 years for each generation. From that circumstance, therefore, it was usual among the Greeks and the Latins, when they wished a long and happy life to their friends, to wish them to see the years of Nestor. He had two daughters, Pisidice and Polycaste; and seven sons, Perseus, Straticus, Aretus, Echephron, Pisistratus, Antilochus, and Trasimedes. Nestor was one of the Argonauts, according to Valerius Flaccus, bk. 1, li. 380, &c.—Dictys Cretensis, bk. 1, ch. 13, &c.—Homer, Iliad, bk. 1, &c.; Odyssey, bks. 3 & 11.—Hyginus, fables 10 & 273.—Pausanias, bk. 3, ch. 26; bk. 4, chs. 3 & 31.—Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 9; bk. 2, ch. 7.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 12, li. 162, &c.—Horace, bk. 1, ode 15.——A poet of Lycaonia in the age of the emperor Severus. He was father to Pisander, who, under the emperor Alexander, wrote some fabulous stories.——One of the body-guards of Alexander. Polyænus.
Nestorius, a bishop of Constantinople, who flourished A.D. 431. He was condemned and degraded from his episcopal dignity for his heretical opinions, &c.
Nestus, or Nessus, now Nesto, a small river of Thrace, rising in mount Rhodope, and falling into the Ægean sea above the island of Thasos. It was for some time the boundary of Macedonia on the east, in the more extensive power of that kingdom.
Netum, a town of Sicily, now called Noto, on the eastern coast. Silius Italicus, bk. 14, li. 269.—Cicero, Against Verres, bk. 4, ch. 26; bk. 5, ch. 51.
Neuri, a people of Sarmatia. Mela, bk. 2, ch. 1.
Nicæa, a widow of Alexander, who married Demetrius.——A daughter of Antipater, who married Perdiccas.——A city of India, built by Alexander on the very spot where he had obtained a victory over king Porus.——A town of Achaia near Thermopylæ, on the bay of Malia.——A town of Illyricum.——Another in Corsica.——Another in Thrace,——in Bœotia.——A town of Bithynia (now Nice, or Is-nik), built by Antigonus, the son of Philip king of Macedonia. It was originally called Antigonia, and afterwards Nicæa by Lysimachus, who gave it the name of his wife, who was daughter of Antipater.——A town of Liguria, built by the people of Massilia, in commemoration of a victory.
Nicagŏras, a sophist of Athens in the reign of the emperor Philip. He wrote the lives of illustrious men, and was reckoned one of the greatest and most learned men of his age.
Nicander, a king of Sparta, son of Charillus, of the family of the Proclidæ. He reigned 39 years, and died B.C. 770.——A writer of Chalcedon.——A Greek grammarian, poet, and physician, of Colophon, 137 B.C. His writings were held in estimation, but his judgment cannot be highly commended, since, without any knowledge of agriculture, he ventured to compose a book on that intricate subject. Two of his poems, entitled Theriaca, on hunting, and Alexipharmaca, on antidotes against poison, are still extant; the best editions of which are those of Gorræus, with a translation in Latin verse by Grevinus, a physician at Paris, 4to, Paris, 1557, and Salvinus, 8vo, Florence, 1764. Cicero, bk. 1, On Oratory, ch. 16.
Nicānor, a man who conspired against the life of Alexander. Curtius, bk. 6.——A son of Parmenio, who died in Hyrcania, &c.——A surname of Demetrius. See: [Demetrius II.]——An unskilful pilot of Antigonus. Polyænus.——A servant of Atticus. Cicero, bk. 5, ltr. 3.——A Samian, who wrote a treatise on rivers.——A governor of Media, conquered by Seleucus. He had been governor over the Athenians under Cassander, by whose orders he was put to death.——A general of the emperor Titus, wounded at the siege of Jerusalem.——A man of Stagira, by whom Alexander the Great sent a letter to recall the Grecian exiles. Diodorus, bk. 18.——A governor of Munychia, who seized the Piræus, and was at last put to death by Cassander, because he wished to make himself absolute over Attica. Diodorus, bk. 18.——A brother of Cassander, destroyed by Olympias. Diodorus, bk. 19.——A general of Antiochus king of Syria. He made war against the Jews, and showed himself uncommonly cruel.