Ave!

Roman Republic, Q. Minucius Rufus, Denarius, Dioscuri Reverse

AR; 19mm/3.7gm Rome, ca. 122 BC

Con/ Very Fine; well-centered and nicely toned.

Obv/ Helmeted head of Roma right; X below chin, RVF behind.

Rev/ The Dioscuri riding right, Q•MINV below, ROMA in exergue.

Ref/ Crawford 277/1

Seller's Note/ Castor and Pollux were twin brothers in Greek and Roman mythology. Together they are called the Dioscuri. They were the sons of Queen Leda of Sparta. Their twin sisters were Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. Castor and Pollux were changed into the constellation called Gemini. Tyndareus, the king of Sparta, was the father of Castor, which made Castor mortal, while Zeus was the father of Pollux which made him a demigod.

One of the best-known myths with Castor and Pollux is how they became a constellation. During a battle, Castor, being mortal, was killed. Heartbroken at the death of his brother, Pollux prayed to Zeus to make Castor immortal which meant Pollux would have to give up half of his immortality. Eventually, Zeus agreed to the request, and so Castor and Pollux were transformed into the Gemini constellation. To balance the cosmos, the Dioscuri would only be on Olympus one half of the year, and the other six months would be spent in the Underworld in the Elysium fields.

They became the gods of sailing and horsemanship. ... Pollux and Castor were also known for their boxing abilities and were thus the gods of athletes and athletic competitions. In both art and literature, Pollux and his brother were shown with horses, as the two were famed horsemen.