Relief of Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri)

myminifactory

Castor and Pollux are consistently associated with horses in art and literature. They are widely depicted as helmeted horsemen carrying spears on votive reliefs. On these reliefs, they are shown with a variety of symbols representing twinhood, such as two upright pieces of wood connected by cross-beams, pairs of shields, or snakes. Felt caps with stars above their heads are also a common depiction. Metopes from Delphi feature them on the voyage of the Argo, rustling cattle alongside Idas. In Greek and Roman mythology, Castor and Pollux are twin brothers known as the Dioscuri or Dioskouroi. Their mother was Leda, but they had different fathers; Castor was the mortal son of Tydeus, a king of Sparta, while Pollux was the divine son of Zeus, who seduced Leda in the guise of a swan. In Latin, the twins are also known as the Gemini or Castores. When Castor was killed, Pollux asked Zeus to let him share his immortality with his twin so they could stay together. As a result, they were transformed into the constellation Gemini.