Echoes of Gemini: Castor and Pollux from Prospect Park to the Samnites

The Horse Tamers by Frederick MacMonnies, Prospect Park 
Photos by New York Scugnizzo

By Lucian

When I was a kid I grew up near Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York. My friends and I loved the park; it was big enough to get lost in, although even at that young age we knew that getting lost there was a bad idea. Every season the park had something to offer; spring and summer we had picnics and climbed trees, in autumn the leaves would become the vibrant colors usually associated with New England, and in the winter we would toboggan down the hills on the west side of the park. When a proper toboggan was unavailable, cardboard or borrowed garbage pail covers would suffice (we always put them back). One of the corner entrances to the park, near the circle connecting to Coney Island Avenue, close to the stables and bowling alley (now only a memory), are majestic statues of two men controlling bucking horses. Sitting two stories high on top of stone pedestals, it was impossible not to notice these larger than life bronze sculptures. One day I asked my mother who the statues were; and, unafraid of telling the truth, she looked down at me and said “I don’t know.”

Now I’ve grown up, travelled, and learned as much on my own as I did in school. I was visiting Naples with, interestingly enough, one of my childhood friends, and we saw statues much like the ones we remembered at the entrance to the park. However, this time we didn’t need to ask who they represented. In 1846 the statues were given as a gift to King Ferdinand II of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies by Czar Nicolas I of Russia to match the ones in St. Petersburg. They were a version of The Horse Tamers, famous statues in Rome that were themselves copies of a Greek original from the 5th century B.C.  Many people associate The Horse Tamers with Castor and Pollux, Greek demigods that were adopted by the Romans, Samnites (Sabellians) and other Italic tribes a very long time ago, centuries before the Empire. Also known as the Dioscuri (Sons of Jupiter), Castor and Pollux were believed to have been introduced to Rome directly from Magna Graecia in the 6th Century B.C.  The version of the Horse Tamers in Prospect Park was sculpted by Frederick MacMonnies and dedicated in 1899, and the theme has been described as an allegory of the “Triumph of Mind over Brute Strength.” I find this concept appealing, yet the ancient peoples of Italy who worshipped the Dioscuri clearly demonstrated that it is always better to have both.

The Horse Tamers by Baron Peter
Klodt von Jürgensburg, Naples

The indigenous tribes of Italy absorbed many Greek ideas and religious practices, but the flavor of these concepts sometimes changed to better suit the tribe’s own character (i.e. Mars is not exactly the same as the Greek Ares), and not all of the tribes borrowed the same things. The Samnites worshipped Hercules, and may have elevated him to full godhood; they also adopted Castor and Pollux, and had a temple for them in Sabellian Capua. Before and during the Republic, Rome was not the only player in the region; some of their competitors were just as aggressive in trade, warfare and expansionism. A good example of this would be Campania and the ancient city of Pompeii. The area had Greek colonial origins but was eventually heavily settled and ruled by a Samnite people for generations before it was voluntarily absorbed by Rome, a situation made possible only because it was under threat from another Samnite tribe and needed a powerful ally to help fight them off (the First Samnite War, 343 to 341 B.C.).

The Samnites were Rome’s original rivals to the initial domination of the Italic peninsula, and more combative and tenacious opponents would be difficult to find. Similar to the Romans in mindset and practices, there are many who believe that if the Samnite tribes were more unified, they would have conquered the peninsula in Rome’s stead.

“Samnium was the landlocked plateau in the centre of Southern Italy bounded, on the north, by the river Sangro and the lands of the Marsi and Paeligni; on the south by the river Ofanto and the lands of the Lucani; on the east, by the plain of Apulia and the lands of the Frentani; and, on the west, by the plain of Campania and the lands of the Aurunci, Sidicini and Latini.” Samnium and the Samnites, by E.T. Salmon p. 14

The Samnites spoke Oscan but, despite their important historical significance, we are ill supplied with written material from Samnium. Luckily, among the material we do have is the Agnone tablet, one of the longest surviving Oscan inscriptions.

“The failure to conduct fully equipped and generously supported archeological expeditions into Samnium is in striking contrast to the splendid activity so common elsewhere in Italy. Probably it is to be attributed to the fact that Samnium does, after all, belong to the south, and until very recently the south was a very neglected part of Italy” Samnium and the Samnites, by E.T. Salmon p. 12  (1967)

One can easily argue that almost half a century later, the South is still neglected; and also that today even world renowned archeological sites, such as Pompeii, are lacking the requisite funding to properly preserve and secure the treasures that have been uncovered. Even so, the archaeologists and other academics do the best they can with the funding that they have, and in 2004 uncovered a Samnite temple in the ruins of Pompeii that contained evidence that Samnite culture was more sophisticated than previously thought and that their practices survived for some time under Roman rule. We can only hope that one day we will uncover additional information about the Samnites and other Italic tribes.

The Horse Tamers by Baron Peter
Klodt von Jürgensburg, Naples

The Samnite people, at least when they were officially part of Samnium, were not known to issue or mint coins of their own, but did use the currency of others. In the third century B.C. Castor and Pollux appeared on the coins of Luceria, a Latin Colony in Samnite territory. The Dioscuri appeared again on insurgent coins used by the Samnites in the Social War, but these and other images were thought to be imitations of Roman coins that also used them, a psychological tactic that has been compared to Confederate currency during the American Civil War. The supposed reasoning was that the rebel currency was intended to challenge and eventually supplant the coinage of Rome.

We have talked about ancient Italic peoples that adopted Castor and Pollux, and where their images have appeared; but who exactly were the Dioscuri, and what was their role in the old religion? Perhaps the best place to start is not with the brothers but with their mortal mother, and the very popular tale of Leda and the Swan.

As is common in the old religions, the stories of the gods are not always consistent; they vary depending on region and century. Leda was the wife of Tyndareus, King of Sparta. On the same night that Leda had lain with her husband, she was visited and seduced by Jupiter (Zeus) in the guise of a swan. How much say she had in the matter is debatable; mortal consent was not usually a concern of the Greek or Roman gods, nor of ancient kings. Leda was impregnated by both Jupiter and her husband Tyndareus and bore four children, some or all of which were hatched from eggs (depending on the version of the legend). There were two boys, Castor and Pollux (Poludeuces), and two girls, Helen and Clytemnestra. Pollux is always considered divine, and Helen referred to as the daughter of Zeus, but whether the other children were divine or hatched from eggs is not consistent with the accounts. Another tale has Helen as the daughter of the goddess Nemesis, who was also approached by Zeus as a swan; and in this version Leda minds her egg and adopts Helen as her stepdaughter. Clytemnestra married King Agamemnon and Helen went on to become Helen of Troy.

Leda and the Swan, Stabiae
National Archaeological Museum, Naples

Leda and the Swan is also a favorite subject of artists throughout the ages; from antiquity, to the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and finally modern times. Even Leonardo DaVinci painted Leda, but tragically the work is now lost. The image of Leda and her divine lover can be found in sculptures, paintings, cameos, and rings. Sometimes they include her children hatching from eggs. Leda is also exalted in poetry; William Butler Yeats’s “Leda and the Swan” is a classic of modern literature.

The sons of Leda, Castor and Pollux, grew to be exceptional men and their exploits were connected to many other legends. Castor was famous for taming horses and Pollux was an excellent boxer, and as deities the brothers were associated with both these things and athleticism in general. When the legendary King Theseus and his friend Pirithous abducted their sister Helen, the twins quickly travelled to Attica with their followers and rescued her. They also sailed with Jason and the Argonauts to capture the Golden Fleece. During the voyage, the belligerent King Amycus, famous for beating strangers to death, challenged Pollux to a boxing match. Pollux accepted the challenge and killed him. While at sea the Argo, Jason’s ship, was threatened by a violent storm. Orpheus alone knew how to appease the Samothracian gods and prayed while playing his harp. Immediately the wind died down and two stars fell over the heads of Castor and Pollux. For this they are known as the patron gods of seamen, voyagers and St. Elmo’s fire. Coincidently, the sign or figurehead for one of the ships that carried St. Paul was said to be of Castor and Pollux (Acts 28:11).

On completion of the voyage with Jason the twins were involved in other notable events, including the Calydonian Boar Hunt, and the siege of the city of Iolcus.

Limestone cippus base, Etruscan, ca. 500-450 B.C., Metropolitan Museum of Art

After returning to their homeland, Castor and Pollux abducted the sisters Hilaeira and Phoebe, and the women bore them sons, Anogon and Mnesileos. Unfortunately, the women had been betrothed to the twin’s cousins, Lynceus and Idas of Thebes, sons of Tyndareus's brother Aphareus. This understandably caused a bitter feud between the cousins, who eventually warred with one another. Castor was mortally wounded by Idas, and Pollux killed Lynceus. Idas was about to land a killing blow to Pollux when Jupiter (who had been watching from Mount Olympus) hurled a thunderbolt, killing Idas and saving his son. Jupiter then offered Pollux immortality in Olympus. The conflict caused Helen to be left unguarded and she was abducted by Paris, starting a chain of events that led to the Trojan War. The gods and heroes of our ancestors were not perfect and their shortsighted actions often caused tragedy, which was perhaps the lesson of their tales. Paris, while abducting Helen, reminded her that he was following the example of Theseus and her own brothers, but the result of his actions was catastrophic. Not knowing the fate of the twins, Helen was said to have looked upon the invading army from the walls of Troy and said “Where are my brothers?”

Bronze handles from a large volute-krater, Etruscan, ca. 500-475 B.C., Metropolitan Museum of Art

When Jupiter offered divinity to Pollux, his son pleaded for his brother Castor. Jupiter gave Pollux the choice of spending all his days in Olympus or sharing them with his twin. Pollux chose to share his immortality with his brother and they spent alternating days in Olympus and Hades. In another version of the story, Jupiter rewarded the loyalty of the brothers by giving the twins a place among the heavens, in the constellation of Gemini. The brightest stars in the constellation Gemini are Alpha Geminorum (Castor) and Beta Geminorum (Pollux), and both stars help guide troubled ships. The Dioscuri are said to sometimes assist their followers in critical times of need. The Romans believed that the brothers intervened for them at the Battle of Lake Regillus in 495 B.C., and afterward a temple was built in their honor in the Forum at the center of Rome.

Marble relief with the Dioscuri, Roman, 2nd century, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Because of horse taming and boxing the Dioscuri were seen as patrons of athletes, as we now see Saint Sebastian. From their voyage on the Argo they are the patrons of travelers and seamen, much as St. Peter and St. Paul are today. From Roman and Samnite coins and ancient temples to the sculptures of the Horse Tamers we feel echoes of Castor and Pollux, and the stars of Gemini watch over us all.

Terracotta hydria attributed to the Washing Painter depicting Eros and Helen flanked by her brothers Castor and Pollux, Greek, ca. 430-420 B.C., Metropolitan Museum of Art

While visiting my mother we decided to take a walk to Prospect Park and happened to pass by the statues. I asked my mother if she remembered my questions about them and she said that I asked so many questions as a child that it was hard to remember them all. After we walked through the entrance she said “Well, tell me who the statues are!”  We walked together as I told her the story of Castor and Pollux, and the statues that I saw on my trip to Naples. She said she would share the tale with her grandchildren; who are my nieces and nephews. I thought about how much our people have forgotten, and how children today are learning far less about our history. It felt good to bring part of that history back to my family, and to realize that, in so many ways, we are still surrounded by it.

Castor and Pollux, Roman, 3rd Century A.D., Metropolitan Museum of Art

REFERENCES:

Samnium and the Samnites, by E.T. Salmon ISBN 978-0-521-06185-8

Heathen Gods and Heroes, by William King (First edition 1710) 1965 edition ISBN-10: 0809301504, ISBN-13: 978-0809301508

Classical Mythology, The Myths of Ancient Greece and Italy, by Thomas Keightley (Third Edition published 1854) 1970 edition ISBN-10: 0-89005-177-1, ISBN-13: 978-0-89005-177-1

Myths of Greece and Rome, by H.A. Guerber (First edition 1893) 1993 edition ISBN-13: 9780486275840

Encyclopedia Brittanica (Web Resource: http://www.britannica.com/) http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/164426/Dioscuri