Pollux (4,092 m a.s.l.)

Pollux (Italian: Punta Polluce) is one of the two peaks known as the “Twins”. With a height of 4,092 metres above sea level, it is lower than its “twin brother” Castor. Both mountains lie between the Breithorn Massif and the Liskamm, with Pollux lying to the north-west of Castor. They are separated by the Zwillingsjoch (English: Twin col: Italian: Passo di Verra, 3,845 m a.s.l.). 

Origin of the name 
Pollux is named after one of the Greek twins Kastor and Polydeuces, sons of Zeus. The Latin names Castor und Pollux are used here, however. 

History / legend 
Polydeuces was the son of Leda and Zeus, who appeared to her in the form of a swan. The Ancient Greeks disagreed about Castor’s origin, however. For some, he was the son of Leda and her husband Tyndareos, and was conceived in the same night as Polydeuces. As they were conceived in the same night, however, they were twins and were inseparable, although, as the son of Zeus, Polydeuces was a half-god, while Castor was a mortal. Others believed that, like his brother, Castor was also a son of Zeus. Both of them took part in the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts in the search for the Golden Fleece, and they also accompanied Heracles on his way to the Amazons. The end of the Dioscouroi (sons of Zeus) was initiated by a quarrel started by Castor with his cousin Idas. Idas slew (the mortal) Castor, following which Polydeuces killed Idas’ brother Lynceus. Zeus then intervened by destroying Idas with a bolt of lightning. Being immortal due to his paternity, Polydeuces thereafter mourned his brother, and asked his father to take away his immortality so that he could join his brother in the Land of the Dead. Moved by so much love, Zeus allowed his son to choose to either remain forever young and to live among the Gods, or to stay with Castor alternately one day in the underworld of Hades (the Land of the Dead) and one day in Olympus with the Gods, and to thereby become older, and to finally die. Without any hesitation, Polydeuces chose the second variant and, from then on, travelled between Olympus and Hades with his brother. Often, however, they are both described as sons of Zeus, according to their name Dioscouroi, who were both immortal and, together with their sister Helen, who was also a daughter of Zeus, were born from a single egg or as a pair of brothers from a second egg. They were considered to be the pride of Sparta.