The Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux) Trivia
Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Castor and Pollex were the names of two elephants who had the very bad luck to be in the Paris Zoo during an 1870 German siege. The Parisians got so hungry that they shot the Dioscuri's namesakes and served them up for dinner. (That is so sad.)
You can still check out the ruins of the Temple of Castor and Pollux in Rome. The temple was built to honor the twins after a battle near Lake Regillus, where legend says Castor and Pollux appeared on horseback and helped the Romans win.
Castor and Pollux is a brand of pet food that's totally organic. (You have to wonder if the pets really care, but cool.)
St. Elmo's Fire is a crazy phenomenon where things start to glow when electricity builds up in the air before a thunderstorm. Back in the day, when this happened to the masts of ships, the Greeks said that it was a sign that Dioscuri were blessing the boat.
If your birthday is between May 21st and June 20th, then you worn born under the sign of Gemini, the constellation of Castor and Pollux.
Looking for a thrill? Go climb the twin peaks in the Alps named after Castor and Pollux.
Twin cameramen in Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay are named Castor and Pollux. (We bet you can guess where Collins got their names from.)