Dioscuri | Twin Brothers, Greek Mythology, Heroes | Britannica (original) (raw)

Also called (in French):

Castor and Polydeuces and (in Latin) Castor and Pollux

Dioscuri, (Dioscuri from Greek Dioskouroi, “Sons of Zeus”), in Greek and Roman mythology, twin deities who succoured shipwrecked sailors and received sacrifices for favourable winds. They were the children of Leda and either Zeus, the king of the gods, or Tyndareus, Leda’s mortal husband and the king of Lacedaemon. According to the usual version, Castor was the son of Tyndareus and thus was mortal, while Pollux was the son of Zeus (who famously had approached Leda in the form of a swan).

Both brothers were fine horsemen, and Pollux was an unrivaled boxer. They took part in the hunting of the Calydonian boar (see Meleager) and in the voyage of the Argo (see Argonaut). When their sister Helen was abducted by Theseus, they invaded Attica and recovered her. They carried off the daughters of Leucippus, Phoebe and Hileira, and were confronted by Leucippus’s nephews, Idas and Lynceus. Castor was murdered by Idas, but Pollux killed Lynceus; in retribution Zeus killed Idas with a thunderbolt. Zeus then gave Pollux the choice between spending all his time on Olympus or giving half of his immortality to his mortal brother, so that they could alternate realms together. Pollux elected to share his immortality. In one version of the story, they became the constellation Gemini (though several different pairs are associated with the constellation).

The introduction of their cult at Rome goes back traditionally to 484 bc. The building of their temple in the Forum followed a vow of Aulus Postumius at the battle of Lake Regillus, where, according to legend, the Dioscuri fought on the side of the Romans and carried the news of victory to Rome. As horsemen, they were especially attractive to the Roman equites, the equestrian order or knights, and to the cavalry. In art the twins are represented as two youths, usually horsemen, holding spears and wearing helmets; their image appeared on early Roman coins.

Britannica Quiz From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.