Castor and Pollux

Castor and Pollux were twin brothers who appeared Grecian and Roman myths. Castor and Pollux were the offspring of Leda and the Swan, under which the disguised Zeus had revealed himself. Leda gave birth to an egg from which sprang the twins

 The twins were worshiped as gods who helped shipwrecked sailors and watched over those who made sacrifices to them. The Romans considered Castor and Pollux the benefactor of horses and knights, called equates. Castor was a talented horse trainer and Pollux was an expert boxer. The brothers were always together.

In one of the earliest myths that has accounts of Castor and Pollux was when they rescued their sister Helen after she had been kidnapped by King Theseus. Helen was later found in the myth as the woman who caused the Trojan Warf. The twins also went with Jason and the Argonauts on their quest in search of the Golden Fleece. When a storm erupted on the voyage, the Orpheus prayed to the gods and played his harp. The storm immediately ceased, and stars appeared on the heads of the twins. It is because of this myth that Castor and Pollux became as the patrons of sailors.

The most famous story is the death of Castor. The twins wanted to marry their cousins Phoebe and Hilaria. Castor and Pollux carried the women away to Sparta, were chased by their male cousins. During the fight the twins killed both Idas and Lynceus, but Castor was fatally wounded. Castor's spirit went to Hades, the place of the dead, because he was a human. Pollux, who was a god, could not bear being separated from his brother he asked Zeus to give up his immortality so that he could join his brother in Hades. Zeus declared that the brothers would take turns dwelling in Hades and with the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus placed the brothers in the heavens as part of the constellation Gemini, the twins.