Castor and Pollux , sons of Jupiter and Leda; they were raised in Pallini where Mercury had carried them soon after their birth. They achieved fame during the expedition of Argonouts after which they rid the Aegean Sea of pirates. As a result of their prowess, stars were seen to dance about their heads; this justified their being considered patron deities of seamen. The appearance of lambent flames was thought to suggest the presence of Castor and Pollux . Accordingly, one set of flames presages a storm, whereas the appearance of two augurs for good weather. To this day, seamen hold the same view and call St. Elmo’s and St. Nicholas’ fire those lights that peasants refer to simply as Castor and Pollux .  The two brothers were invited to their cousins wedding feast and ended up carrying off both brides-to-be. The abduction Hilaeira and Phoebe cost Castor his life, but Pollux , who loved his brother tenderly, asked Jupiter for Castor ’s resurrection; he further advocated in favor of granting Castor the gift of immortality, owed by virtue of his birth. Jupiter granted Pollux ’s wish. Henceforth one of the twins inhabited the underworld, whilst the other was citizen of the heavens. This fable is founded on the apotheosis of the two heroes, who were associated with the astrological sign Gemini. In effect, one of Gemini’s stars descends beneath the horizon at the same time that another rises above. In celebration of  their feast days, the Romans sent to their temple once a year a man on horseback, wearing a bonnet like theirs and leading by the bridle a horse with no rider. In Ancient Greece Castor and pollux were considered among the most influential gods, and were worshiped in both Sparta and Athens. The Romans built a temple where oaths were pronounced in their name: the men’s oath was “in the name of Pollux in his own temple”, and the female oath was “in the name of Castor , in his own temple”. The two gods appeared from time to time on the battlefield, mounted on white steeds. They are typically represented as two young men either on horseback or with horses close by and wear a bonnet, mounted with a single star.  They are known by poets under the name of the Dioskouroi, or sons of Jupiter, also the Tyndaridae, because their mother was wife of Tyndareus, king of Sparta. Together they were famous in the Games of Ancient Greece.  Castor was a famous horse trainer and charioteer, which is why he was known as the horse master; Pollux was a boxer and the protector of athletes.