Castor
mythological figure · 11 works · 12 mentions · 14 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.
She knew not that both these heroes were already lying under the earth in their own land of Lacedaemon.
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;
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;
Isthmean
Spartan hero and legendary charioteer, one of the Dioscuri, invoked as a model of equestrian excellence.
in Thebes the horseman Iolaus has his honor, and Perseus in Argos, and the spearman Castor together with Polydeuces by the streams of Eurotas.
But I, while I frame for Herodotus a prize of honor for his four-horse chariot, and for managing the reins with his own hands and not another’s, want to join him to the song of Castor or of Iolaus, for of all heroes they were the strongest charioteers, the one born in Sparta and the other in Thebes.
Nemean
Mortal-born twin of the Dioscuri, killed by Idas and later restored to share Polydeuces's immortality for half of each cycle.
and these sons of Aphareus themselves suffered terribly by the devising of Zeus.
He opened the eye, and then released the voice of the bronze-clad warrior, Castor.
He and Idas at once reached the spot with swift feet, and quickly contrived a mighty deed;
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.