They are renowned as excellent horsemen and hunters. They distinguished themselves as members of the argonauts, a band of heroes in Greek mythology who accompanied Jason on his quest to find the Golden Fleece. They are patrons of sailors, to whom they appear as St. Elmo’s fire. The twins were born of the same mother but with different fathers, hence they are an example of heteropaternal superfecundation. The Dioscuri were revered by the Romans. The Romans built a temple to them in the Roman Forum, in gratitude for fighting alongside them in 495 BC at the Battle of Lake Regillus. At that battle, the twins helped to defend the young Roman Republic against their former king who was attempting to reassert control. Here the twins are shown on a silver denarius from the Roman Republic, struck in Rome in 136BC by the moneyer Cn Lucretius Trio.  The other side shows the helmeted head of Roma, personification of the city of Rome.