Dioscuri (Διόσκουροι. i.e., Jove's boys, "Castor and Pollux," Ac 28:11), the twin sons of Jupiter by Leda (Homer, Hymn, 17; Hygin. Fab. 77; according to Homer, Odyss. 11:297, the sons of Leda and Tyndareus). They were chiefly invoked by the Greek and Roman sailors as tutelary deities of mariners, and also worshipped by propitiatory offerings (Theocritus, Id. 22:17; Catull. lxviii. 65; Lucian, Deor. dial. 26:2). In the heavens they were twin stars, regarded as auspicious (comp. σωτῆρες, Homer, Hymn, 33:6; Elian, Var. Inst. 1:30; "lucidum sidus," Diodor. Sic. 4:43; Ovid, Fasti, 5:720). They were sometimes thought to appear in a delivering flame at the masthead during storms (Plutarch, Placit. Philos. 2:18). Their image formed the "figure-head" of the Alexandrian vessel (giving name to it) in which Paul sailed from Melita to Rome (Ac 18:11). Compare SEE SHIP. See Scheffer, De nilit. navali vett. page 372 sq.; Ensched, De tutelis et insignib. nav. (L. B. 1771); Hasmeus, De navib. Alexand. apostolum in Ital. deferentibus (Brem. 1716); Kunz, De vexillo navis Alex. (Jen. 1734). Comp. SEE CASTOR (AND POLLUX).
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More