Polycaste (Ancient Greek: Πολυκάστη) is a Pylian princess in Greek mythology, daughter of King Nestor of Pylos by Eurydice or Anaxibia. In Homer's Odyssey she bathes and anoints Telemachus during Nestor's sacrifice to Athena; later tradition has her marry Telemachus and bear a son Persepolis.
Adapted from Wikipedia, "Polycaste" · CC BY-SA 4.0
I.Family
Polycaste is daughter of Nestor and either Eurydice or Anaxibia. Apollodorus and related genealogies place her among Nestor's children beside Thrasymedes, Peisistratus, Pisidice, Perseus, Stratichus, Aretus, Echephron, and Antilochus.
Scholia on the Odyssey and Eustathius preserve a marriage tradition in which she weds Telemachus and becomes mother of Persepolis — a continuation of the Pylos hospitality scene rather than a Homeric narrative in its own right.
II.In the Odyssey
When Telemachus visits sandy Pylos seeking news of Odysseus, Nestor's household holds a hecatomb to Athena. Homer names fair Polycaste, youngest daughter of Nestor son of Neleus, as the maiden who bathes the prince, anoints him with oil, and clothes him in a fair cloak and tunic so that he comes forth from the bath in form like unto the immortals.
The episode is brief but carefully placed: her service frames the Pylians' feast and the honour shown to Odysseus' son, and it is the principal ancient attestation of her character.
III.Homonyms
This atlas entry (polycaste-nestor) is Nestor's Pylian daughter. Other mythographers know a Polycaste daughter of Lygaeus (mother of Penelope by Icarius) and a Polycaste sister of Daedalus (mother of Perdix) — distinct figures sharing only the name.