CASTOR

(Casʹtor) and POLLUX (Polʹlux). In classical mythology the sons of Leda, also called Dioscuri, “Sons of Zeus,” indicating both to be offspring of Zeus, who was worshiped as the supreme deity of the Greeks.

Castor and Pollux were venerated by both the Greeks and the Romans. The Gemini constellation, in which Castor and Pollux are the two brightest stars, was viewed as being especially favorable to mariners. Castor and Pollux were, in fact, the patron deities of sailors and were believed to render assistance in time of distress at sea, manifesting themselves during storms in the form of St. Elmo’s fire. Quite in keeping with the nature of these deities, the boat on which Paul as a prisoner set sail from the island of Malta bore the figurehead “Sons of Zeus,” the twin brothers Castor and Pollux.—Acts 28:11.