Relief of Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri)
Relief of Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri)
3D
Published 2017-04-12T08:46:28+00:00
Castor and Pollux are consistently associated with horses in art and literature. They are widely depicted as helmeted horsemen carrying spears.
On votive reliefs they are depicted with a variety of symbols representing the concept of twinhood, such as the dokana (δόκανα – two upright pieces of wood connected by two cross-beams), a pair of smphoras, a pair of shields, or a pair of snakes. They are also often shown wearing felt caps, sometimes with stars above. They are depicted on metopes from Delphi showing them on the voyage of the Argo (Ἀργώ) and rustling cattle with Idas.
In greek and Roma mythology, Castor and Pollux, or Kastor and Polydeuces,were twin brothers, together known as the Dioscuri or Dioskouroi. Their mother was Leda, but they had different fathers; Castor was the mortal son of Tydereus, the 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 own immortality with his twin to keep them together, and they were transformed into the constellation Gemini.
| Date published | 12/04/2017 |
| Title | Relief of Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri) |
| Date | V-IV Century BC |
| Accession | DA12575 |
| Period | Hellenistic period |
| Medium | Marble |
| Place | National Roman Museum |
