Castor and Pollux

Abstract Castor and Pollux, or Castores , is the Latin designation for the Greek Dioscuri (Kastor and Polydeukes). The heroes Castor and Pollux were the tutelary gods of the Roman equites , and they were considered a symbol of successful Roman military campaigns (CP I, 49–51). As the symbol of victorious Rome, Castor and Pollux were used in the imperial propaganda to promote the heirs of the Principate, the principes iuventutis , first and foremost by Augustus (CP I, 51–2). Their importance is also reflected by the fact that their images were placed on the reverse of the first issues of the Roman denarius in 211 BCE . Castor and Pollux were represented as two young men shown either on horseback or standing beside their horses. They are usually naked except for a cloak, and they usually carry spears as well as a pileus on their heads. Above their foreheads a star is often placed.