Castor and Pollux

Castor and Pollux, also known as the Dioscuri or Dioskouroi, are famous twin half-brothers from Greek and Roman mythology. Their mother was Leda, but they had different fathers. Castor was the son of Tyndareus, the king of Sparta, while Pollux was the son of Zeus, who came to Leda in the shape of a swan. Because of this, they are often called an example of heteropaternal superfecundation.

Sometimes, stories say that Castor and Pollux, along with their twin sisters Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, were born from an egg. In Latin, these twins are called the Gemini, meaning "twins," or sometimes the Castores. Because Pollux was a god and Castor was a mortal, Pollux asked Zeus to let them share his immortality so they could stay together. As a result, they were placed in the sky as the constellation Gemini.

People anciently believed that Castor and Pollux watched over sailors. They were thought to appear as St. Elmo's fire, a glowing light near the sea. The twins were also linked to horses, fitting their origins as the Indo-European horse twins.

Birth

Castor and Pollux, known as the Dioscuri, have different stories about who their parents were. In some tales, they are both sons of Tyndareus, the king of Sparta. In other stories, Zeus, the king of the gods, is their father. The most common story says that Pollux was fathered by Zeus, while Castor was the son of Leda and Tyndareus.

Because of this, Pollux is sometimes seen as a god, while Castor is a mortal hero. They were known as helpers of people, especially sailors who traveled the seas. They were also thought to watch over athletes and sports contests.

Classical sources

Ancient Greek writers told many versions of the story of Castor and Pollux. The poet Homer first showed them as regular people, calling them dead in the Iliad:

"... there are two commanders I do not see,

Castor the horse breaker and the boxer

Polydeuces, my brothers ..."

– Helen, Iliad

but later in the Odyssey he said they were alive, living on alternate days because of Zeus. Both Hesiod and Pindar described them as the sons of Tyndareus and Leda, though Pindar said Pollux was the son of Zeus and Castor was the son of Tyndareus.

The Dioscuri are also mentioned in a piece by Alcaeus, and they appear together in two plays by Euripides, Helen and Elektra.

Mythology

The Dioscuri, also known as Castor and Pollux, were skilled horsemen and hunters. They joined the crew of Jason's ship, the Argo, on an adventure known as the quest of the Argonauts. During this journey, Pollux took part in a boxing match and won against King Amycus of the Bebryces. Later, they helped Jason and Peleus destroy the city of Iolcus because of unfair treatment by its king, Pelias.

When their sister Helen was taken by Theseus, Castor and Pollux went to her rescue. They fought back, took Theseus's mother Aethra to Sparta, and placed Menestheus on the throne of Athens. Aethra was later returned home by her grandsons Demophon and Acamas after the events of the Troy story.

Castor and Pollux wished to marry Phoebe and Hilaeira, the Leucippides. However, these women were already promised to Lynceus and Idas. This led to a conflict between the families. During one meeting, Idas and Lynceus tricked Castor and Pollux, taking all the cattle for themselves. In response, Castor and Pollux later tried to steal the cattle back. During this attempt, Idas killed Castor, but Pollux then killed Lynceus. Zeus stepped in, killing Idas and allowing Pollux to share his immortality with Castor. As a result, the twins could spend time both on Mount Olympus and in Hades. They became the bright stars in the constellation Gemini, known as the twins.

Iconography

Castor and Pollux are often shown with horses in stories and pictures. They are usually drawn as men wearing helmets and holding spears. In one old book called the Pseudo-Oppian, the brothers are shown hunting, sometimes on horses and sometimes on foot.

On special stone carvings called votive gifts, they appear with symbols that show they are twins. These symbols include two wooden pieces joined by cross-beams, called dokana, two jars called amphorae, two shields, or two snakes. They are also sometimes shown wearing special caps with stars above them. Pictures from places like Delphi show them traveling on a ship called the Argo (Ἀργώ) and taking care of cattle. On Greek vases, they are shown capturing two sisters named Phoebe and Hilaeira, joining the crew of the Argo, and taking part in ceremonies. You can tell them in some drawings by the special round caps they wear, called pilos (πῖλος), which people thought came from the egg they hatched from.

They were once described as having blond hair, big eyes, fair skin, and strong, fit bodies.

Dokana

Dokana were ancient symbols of Castor and Pollux made from two upright wooden beams with others laid across them. These symbols were important to the people of Sparta and were taken into battle by their kings. But in 504 B.C., when the two Spartan kings failed in an attack because they did not get along, Sparta decided that only one king would lead the army and take just one of the dokana symbols with him. Some believe these dokana symbols were carried into battle by the kings.

The word δόκανα might come from δοκός, meaning "beam." However, some old writings, like the Suda and the Etymologicum Magnum, say that δόκανα was the name for the graves of Castor and Pollux in Sparta and came from a word meaning "to receive."

Shrines and rites

The Dioskouroi, meaning Castor and Pollux, were honored by both the Greeks and Romans. They had temples in places like Athens and Rome, as well as many shrines in other parts of the ancient world.

In Sparta, they were very important. The Spartans linked them to their tradition of having two kings. When the Spartan army went to war, one king would stay home, accompanied by one of the twins. Their grave-shrine was located on a mountain top at Therapne, across the Eurotas river from Sparta.

People made special offerings to them and hung images of the twins in pear trees, which the Spartans considered sacred to Castor and Pollux. They were also invited into homes and public places for meals, a practice known as theoxenia.

City of Dioscurias

The ancient city of Dioscurias or Dioskurias on the Black Sea coast, now called Sokhumi, was named after Castor and Pollux. According to stories, they founded the city themselves. Another story says their charioteers, Amphitus and Cercius from Sparta, were the founders.

Island of Dioscuri

The island of Socotra, found between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea, was known by the Greeks as Dioskouridou (Διοσκουρίδου νῆσος), which means "the island of the Dioscuri".

Ahenobarbus/Aenobarbus

The name Ahenobarbus/Aenobarbus (Ἀηνόβαρβος) belongs to a family of the Domitia gens. This family was known for having red hair. The name means "Brazen-bearded" and comes from a myth about the Dioscuri. In the story, one of the family’s ancestors learned from the Dioscuri about a Roman victory against the Latin League in the Battle of Lake Regillus. As proof, the Dioscuri touched his black hair and beard, turning them red.

Indo-European analogues

Main article: Divine twins

In many old stories from Indo-European cultures, there are tales of twin brothers who shine brightly. These twins are known as the Ashvins in Vedic tradition, the Ašvieniai in Lithuanian stories, and maybe even the Alcis in old Germanic tales.

Etruscan Kastur and Pultuce

The Etruscans honored the twins as Kastur and Pultuce, calling them the "tinas cliniiaras", meaning "Sons of Tinia", who was the Etruscan version of Zeus. Artists often showed these twins on special mirrors. In one famous place called the Tomb of the Funereal Bed in Tarquinia, they were shown in a special way called a lectisternium. Sometimes, they were also shown with two pointed hats topped with laurel leaves, known as Phrygian caps.

Italy and the Roman Empire

The Romans highly respected Castor and Pollux, beginning in the 5th century BCE, likely due to influences from Greek colonies in southern Italy called Magna Graecia. An old Latin inscription from around that time at Lavinium shows their importance.

A temple for Castor and Pollux was built in the Roman Forum after a Roman victory in 495 BCE. Legend says the twins even helped in the battle and then brought the good news back to Rome. The Romans thought the twins helped them in wars, especially because they were known as skilled riders. Every year on July 15, many Roman horse soldiers would parade through Rome dressed in their finest uniforms.

Even when Christianity became more common, people still honored Castor and Pollux. Sometimes they were shown alongside Christian figures, showing how old and new beliefs mixed together.