Castor and Pollux Castor and Pollux Castor and Pollux (or in Greek, Polydeuces) were twin half-brothers in Greek and Roman mythology, known together as the Dioscuri. Their mother was Leda, but they had different fathers; Castor was the mortal son of Tyndareus, the king of Sparta, while Pollux was the divine son of Zeus, who seduced Leda in the guise of a swan. Though accounts of their birth are varied, they are sometimes said to have been born from an egg, along with their twin sisters Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. In Latin the twins are also known as the Gemini (literally "twins")
Leda and the Swan (Peter Paul Rubens) a painted ellipse that cut off the left elbow and part of the right foot as seen through x-rays. Today it is in a rectangular format along with the 1602 painting. In his second painting, the brushstrokes are more precise, there is more detail, there is a clearer landscape in the background, an elaborate headpiece, more vibrant colors, and the drapery is white and red. A common Renaissance and Baroque theme is females that are abducted or seduced by divinities. This includes Leda and the swan as Zeus, as well as Europa, Antiope, and Danae. Many portrayals of women being