Difference between revisions of "Castor And Pollux"

<p> <strong> CASTOR AND POLLUX </strong> . See Dioscuri. </p>

<p> Cas'tor and Pol'lux. Acts 28:11. The twin sons of [[Jupiter]] and Leda, were regarded as the tutelary divinities of sailors; hence, their image was often used as a figure-head for ships. They appeared in heaven as the constellation, Gemini. In art, they were sometimes represented simply as stars hovering over a ship. </p>

<p> See [[Saint]] Elmo's fire, under Saint. </p>

<p> '''''kas´tẽr''''' , '''''pol´uks''''' . See [[Dioscuri]]; [[Astronomy]] . </p>

<p> the Dioscü ri (Διόσκουροι, Acts 28:11), two heroes of [[Greek]] and [[Roman]] mythology, the twin-sons of [[Jupiter]] and [[Leda]] (see Smith's Diet. of [[Classical]] Biog., s.v. Dioscuri). They were regarded as the tutelary divinities (Θεοί σωτῆρες ) of sailors (Xenoph. Synpos. 8:29). They appeared in heaven as the constellation of Gemini. On shipboard they were recognized in the phosphoric lights called by modern [[Italian]] sailors the fires of St. Elmo, which play about the masts and the sails (Seneca, Nat. Qusest. 1:1; comp. Pliny, 11:37). [[Hence]] the frequent allusions of Roman poets to these divinities in connection with navigation (see especially Horace, Carm. 1:3, 2, and 4:8, 31). As the ship mentioned by Luke was from Alexandria, it may be worth while to notice that [[Castor]] and [[Pollux]] were specially honored in the neighboring district of Cyrenaica (Schol. Pinid. Pyth. 5:6). In Catull. 4:27, we have distinct mention of a boat dedicated to them (see also 68:65). In art, these divinities were sometimes represented simply as stars hovering over a ship, but more frequently as young men on horseback, with conical caps, and stars above them (see the coins of Rhegium, a city of the Bruttii, at which [[Paul]] touched on the voyage in question, Acts 28:13). Such figures were probably painted or sculptured at the bow of the ship (hence παράσημον; see Smith, Dict. of Class. Antiq., s.v. Insigne). This custom was very frequent in ancient ship- building. (See [[Ship]]). [[Herodotus]] says (3:37) that the Phoenicians used to place the figures of deities at the bow of their vessels. [[Virgil]] (Eneid, 10:209) and [[Ovid]] (Trist. 1:10, 2) supply us with illustrations of the practice; and [[Cyril]] of [[Alexandria]] (Cramer's Catena, ad l. c.) says that such was always the [[Alexandrian]] method of ornamenting each side of the prow. (See [[Dioscuri]]). </p>