Neleus (Ancient Greek: Νηλεύς) was a mythological king of Pylos, twin brother of Pelias and, by Chloris, father of Nestor and a numerous brood of Neleid sons. Poseidon and Tyro are his usual parents; after a quarrel with Pelias he settles in Messenia and founds or takes the Pylian kingship. Heracles later kills him and all his sons except Nestor.
Adapted from Wikipedia, "Neleus" · CC BY-SA 4.0
I.Birth and family
Tyro, wife of Cretheus of Iolcus, loved the river Enipeus. Poseidon took Enipeus's form, lay with her, and she bore twin boys, Pelias and Neleus. Exposed on a mountain, they were raised by a maid; grown, they found Tyro and killed her stepmother Sidero for mistreating her — Pelias slew Sidero even as she clung to Hera's altar, earning the goddess's lasting hatred. Pausanias alternatively counts Neleus as Cretheus's own son.
With Chloris, daughter of Amphion of Orchomenus (or, for Nestor alone, Polymede), Neleus fathers Pero and many sons: Periclymenus, Alastor, Chromius, Nestor, and others. Some scholia limit Chloris to three sons (Nestor, Periclymenus, Chromius) and assign the rest to other women; other accounts insist she bore them all. In some lists Neleus himself, rather than Nestor, sails with the Argonauts.
II.King of Pylos
Pelias and Neleus quarrelled over the Iolcian crown; Neleus was driven out and welcomed in Messenia by his cousin Aphareus, who gave him the maritime portion of the land. There he established his palace and became king of Pylos.
When Heracles sought purification for the murder of his wife and children, Neleus refused. In retaliation Heracles killed Neleus and his sons — all except Nestor, who was away or spared — clearing the way for Nestor's long reign at Pylos.