Leda - Zeus

In Sparta there lived a beautiful queen called Leda. Zeus, the king of the gods, saw her beauty and wanted to get close to her. To impress her, he transformed himself into a beautiful swan with glowing white wings.

The swan flew close to Leda and lay down at her feet.Leda, enchanted by the beauty of the swan, held him in her arms.

Golden Eggs

A short time later, Leda laid two eggs. From one egg came the twins Castor and Polydeuces, and from the other the beautiful Helen and Clytemnestra.

Dioscuri

Leda's children grew up and became very important. Castor and Polydeuces became known as Dioscuri. Castor was an excellent horseman, while Polydeuces was an unsurpassed boxer. The two were inseparable and had many adventures together, helping men and gods.

 When Castor was killed in battle, Polydices, who was immortal, asked Zeus to share his immortality with his brother. Thus, the Dioscuri spent half their lives on Olympus and the other half in Hades, always together.

Helen of Troy became the most beautiful woman in the world and the cause of the Trojan War, while Clytemnestra married Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae.