Brill’s New Pauly

Get access

Dioscuri
(1,718 words)

(Διόσκουροι, Διοσκόρω; Dióskouroi, Dioskórō).

[German version]

I. Religion

Divine twins, regarded as sons of Zeus; they appear repeatedly in Greek mythology. The most important (alongside the Theban D.  Amphion and  Zethus) were the Spartan ones, whose most ancient name probably was Tindarídai. In Attica, they were often invoked as Ἄνακτες (Ánaktes: ‘masters’). Their individual names Castor (Κάστωρ; Latin Castor) and Polydeuces (Πολυδεύκης; Latin Pollux) as well as their characters in general are presumed …

Cite this page
Scheer, Tanja (Rome) and Ley, Anne (Xanten), “Dioscuri”, in: Brill’s New Pauly, Antiquity volumes edited by: Hubert Cancik and , Helmuth Schneider, English Edition by: Christine F. Salazar, Classical Tradition volumes edited by: Manfred Landfester, English Edition by: Francis G. Gentry. Consulted online on 10 December 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e320920>
First published online: 2006
First print edition: 9789004122598, 20110510



▲   Back to top   ▲