Castor and Pollux

Castor and Pollux were twin brothers in Greek and Roman mythology.  Together they are called the Dioscuri or Dioskouroi.  They were the sons of Queen Leda of Sparta.  Their twin sisters were Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra.  Castor and Pollux were changed into the constellation called Gemini.  Tyndareus, the king of Sparta, was the father of Castor, which made Castor mortal, while Zeus was the father of Pollux which made him a demigod.

Zeus seduced Leda as a swan and she laid four eggs, these eggs hatched and four children were born to Leda, the two brothers Castor and Pollux, and two sisters, Helen and Clytemnestra; Castor and Clytemnestra were considered to be the children of King Tyndareus,  Pollux and Helen were the demigod offspring of Zeus.

Castor and Pollux are universally named among the Argonauts, the crew of the Argo who sailed for Colchis with Jason.  During the quest for the Golden Fleece, Pollux is noted for having bested the King of Bebryces during a boxing match.

One of the best-known myths with Castor and Pollux is how they became a constellation. During a battle, Castor, being mortal, was killed. Heartbroken at the death of his brother, Pollux prayed to Zeus to make Castor immortal which meant Pollux would have to give up half of his immortality.  Eventually, Zeus agreed to the request, and so Castor and Pollux were transformed into the Gemini constellation.  To balance the cosmos, the Dioscuri would only be on Olympus one half of the year, and the other six months would be spent in the Underworld in the Elysium fields.

They became the gods of sailing and horsemanship. ... Pollux and Castor were also known for their boxing abilities and were thus the gods of athletes and athletic competitions. In both art and literature, Pollux and his brother were shown with horses, as the two were famed horsemen.

Category:People in Greek mythology
Category:Roman mythology