Castor
mythological figure · 9 works · 10 mentions · 11 anchored passages
breaker of horses · tamer of horses
in the texts
The Trojan Women
Brother of Helen, named as one dishonored by her elopement and the resulting war.
where you tied your hawsers, twisted handiwork from Egypt, in quest of that hateful wife of Menelaus, who brought disgrace on Castor, and on Eurotas foul reproach;
what cry for help did you ever raise, though Castor was still alive, a vigorous youth, and his brother also, not yet among the stars?
Orations
Mythic hero, winner of the stadium-race in the first games held at the Isthmus.
And indeed they say the first contest was set up here by the two gods, and that Castor won the stadium-race, and Calais the double course — for they say Calais ran, abstaining from flying.
Electra
Electra's divine kinsman (the Dioscurus), who sought her in marriage before his deification.
and I turn away from Castor, who sought me in marriage before he joined the gods, for I was his relative.
Iliad
Helen's brother, a horse-tamer, whom she cannot find among the Achaean ranks, not knowing he has already died.
I see, moreover, many other Achaeans whose names I could tell you, but there are two whom I can nowhere find, Castor, breaker of horses, and Pollux the mighty boxer;
She knew not that both these heroes were already lying under the earth in their own land of Lacedaemon.
Odyssey
Son of Leda, 'breaker of horses,' who by Zeus's special dispensation alternates between death and life with his brother Pollux.
"And I saw Leda the wife of Tyndarus, who bore him two famous sons, Castor breaker of horses, and Pollux the mighty boxer.
Hymn 33 To the Dioscuri
One of the Dioscuri, identified as a son of Zeus and Leda and characterized by horse-taming.
Bright-eyed Muses, tell of the Tyndaridae, the Sons of Zeus, glorious children of neat-ankled Leda, Castor the tamer of horses, and blameless Polydeuces.
Archidamus
One of Tyndareus’ sons, mentioned in the mythic transfer of Lacedaemon.
next, that Lacedaemon was theirs by right of gift, for when Tyndareus, having been driven from his throne, was restored to it by Heracles, after Castor and Polydeuces had vanished from among men, he gave the land to Heracles because of this act of kindness and also because of the kinship of Heracles and his own sons;
Chrestomathy
Son of Tyndareus killed by Idas while stealing cattle, later granted alternate-day immortality.
Meanwhile Castor, together with Polydeuces, are caught stealing the cattle of Idas and Lynceus;
Adversus Marcionem
Mythological figure whose fabled birth from two fathers is invoked satirically against Marcion's Christology.
Such a nativity, if at all, the fables ascribe to Castor or Hercules.