The Roman Horsemen: Twin Heroes and the Temple of Castor and Pollux

The Temple of Castor and Pollux in Rome's Roman Forum was originally built in 484 BC in gratitude for victory at the Battle of Lake Regillus. Constructed by the Roman dictator Aulus Postumius Albus Regallensis, the temple was a sanctuary honoring the twin sons of Zeus and Leda, Castor and Pollux.

However, the temple has a more significant history than its founding. During the Republican period, the temple served as a meeting place for the Roman Senate, and from the middle of the 2nd century BC, the front of the podium served as a speaker's platform.

During the imperial period, the temple housed the office for weights and measures. The interior of the building even contained a chamber used by a dentist, as proven by artifacts found in the drains.

Every year on July 15, a large cavalry parade was held to commemorate the initial victory at Lake Regillus, with two young men representing Castor and Pollux, riding white horses, leading the procession.

The temple was rebuilt and enlarged in 117 BC by Lucius Caecilius Metellus Dalmaticus and restored again in 73 BC by Gaius Verres. However, a fire destroyed it in 14 BC, and it was rebuilt by Tiberius. The remains that visitors can see today are from this temple, built in 6 AD.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons