The Greek word Dioskouroi (Διόσκουροι) means 'sons of Zeus' and refers to the mythological twin demigods Castor and Pollux, patron deities of sailors in the Greco-Roman world. The name appears once in Acts 28:11, where Luke notes that Paul sailed from Malta to Rome on an Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the Twin Gods.
The detail about the ship's figurehead in Acts 28:11 is a quietly powerful contrast of worldviews. Ancient sailors believed the Dioskouroi protected them at sea. Yet in this very ship, adorned with pagan gods, traveled Paul the Apostle, who had just survived a shipwreck through God's protection. The true Protector was not Castor and Pollux but the God who told Paul: 'Do not be afraid... God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you' (Acts 27:24). The Gospel travels through the very structures of pagan civilization without being captive to them.