What is Castor and Pollux?
[[File: Dioskouroi Met L.2008.18.1-2 n03.jpg|thumb|300px|A pair of Roman statuettes (3rd century AD) depicting the Dioscuri as horsemen.]] '''Castor and Pollux''' were twin brothers in [[Greek mythology|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 (constellation)|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 hi