Janus_(mythology)

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For other uses, see Janus (disambiguation)

Roman bust of Janus, Vatican.

In Roman mythology, Janus (or Ianus) was the god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings, and endings. His most apparent remnants in modern culture are his namesakes: the month of January, which begins the new year, and the janitor, who is a caretaker of doors and halls.

Contents 1 Ancient incarnation 1.1 Myths 1.1.1 Carna 1.1.2 Other myths 1.2 Origins 2 Janus in cell biology 3 See also 4 External links 5 See Also

Ancient incarnation

Janus was usually depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions.Janus was frequently used to symbolize change and transitions such as the progression of past to future, of one condition to another, of one vision to another, the growing up of young people, and of one universe to another. He was also known as the figure representing time because he could see into the past with one face and into the future with the other. Hence, Janus was worshipped at the beginnings of the harvest and planting times, as well as marriages, births and other beginnings. He was representative of the middle ground between barbarity and civilization, rural country and urban cities, and youth and adulthood.

The traditional ascription of the "Temple of Janus" at Autun, Burgundy, is disputed.

Myths

Carna

His ability to see both forwards and backwards at the same time aided him in his pursuit of the nymph Carna to whom he gave power over door hinges as a reward for her favours.

Other myths

Janus was supposed to have come from Thessaly in Greece and he shared a kingdom with Camese in Latium. They had many children, including Tiberinus.

When Romulus and his men kidnapped the Sabine women, Janus caused a volcanic hot spring to erupt, resulting in the would-be attackers being buried alive. In honor of this, the doors to his temples were kept open during war so that Janus himself may easily watch this happen. The doors and gates were closed in ceremony with when peace was concluded.

Origins

The Romans associated Janus with the Etruscan deity Ani. However, he was one of the few Roman gods who had no ready-made counterpart, or analogous mythology. We can find in Greece Janus-like heads of gods related to Hermes, perhaps forming a compound god: Hermathena (a herm of Athena), Hermares, Hermaphroditus, Hermanubis, Hermalcibiades, and so on. In the case of these compounds it is disputed whether they indicated a herm with the head of Athena, or with a Janus-like head of both Hermes and Athena, or a figure compounded from both deities.

Janus in cell biology

Janus Kinases (JAKs) - named because they have two symmetrical kinase-like domains and resemble the two-headed mythical Roman god Janus.

See also

• Diprosopus congenital defect, a rare craniofacial duplication condition
• Time and fate deities in popular culture

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Janus (mythology)

• Livius.org: Janus
• Translation of Ovid\'s Fasti, a section on January, and Janus

v • d • e Roman religion and mythology
Offices	Augur · Flamen · Haruspex · Pontifex Maximus · Rex Nemorensis · Rex Sacrorum · Vestal Virgin
Beliefs and practices	Festivals · Funerals · Apotheosis & imperial cult · Mythology · Persecution · Sibylline Books · Temple
Major deities	Apollo · Ceres · Diana · Juno · Jupiter · Mars · Mercury · Minerva · Venus · Vulcan · Divus Augustus · Divus Julius · Fortuna · Lares · Pluto · Quirinus · Sol · Vesta
Minor deities	Adranus · Averrunci · Averruncus · Bromius · Caelus · Clitunno · Cupid · Dis Pater · Faunus · Glycon · Inuus · Lupercus · Orcus · Saturn ·
Personified concepts	Aius Locutius · Angerona · Concordia · Copia · Fides · Fortuna · Spes

See Also

• Template:Greek religion ~ template about the Pagan religion and mythology of the ancient Greeks.
• Template:Celtic mythology ~ template about the Pagan religion and mythology of the Celts.
• Template:NorseMythology ~ template about the Pagan religion and mythology of the Norse.

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