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Myths about the Roman Gods Castor and Pollux
In this expedition Pollux slew Amycus, son of Neptune, and
king of Bebrycia, who had challenged all the Argonauts to
box with him. This victory, and that which he gained
afterwards at the Olympic games which Hercules celebrated in
Elis, caused him to be considered the hero and patron of
wrestlers, while his brother Castor distinguished himself in
the race, and in the management of horses.
Cicero relates a wonderful judgment which happened to one
Scopas, who had spoken disrespectfully of these divinities:
he was crushed to death by the fall of a chamber, whilst
Simonides, who was in the same room, was rescued from the
danger, being called out a little before, by two persons
unknown, supposed to be Castor and Pollux.
The Greek and Roman histories are full of the miraculous
appearance of these brethren; particularly we are told they
were seen fighting upon two white horses, at the head
of the Roman army, in the battle between the Romans and Latins, near the lake Regillus, and brought the news of the
decisive victory of Paulus Aemilius to Rome, the very day it
was obtained.
Frequent representations of these deities occur on ancient
monuments, and particularly on consular medals. They are
exhibited together, each having a helmet, out of which
issues a flame, and each a pike in one hand, and in the
other a horse held by the bridle: sometimes they are
represented as two beautiful youths, completely armed, and
riding on white horses, with stars over their helmets.
Myths about the Roman Gods Castor and Pollux
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