JANUS, in Roman cult, the god of doorways (lanuae). See ROMAN RELIGION. The rationalists explained him as an old king of Latium, who built a citadel for himself on the Janiculum. It was believed that his worship, which existed as a local cult before the foundation of Rome, was introduced there by Romulus, and that the famous Janus geminus facing east and west, at the north east end of the forum, was dedicated by Numa. It was simply a double barbican gate, open during war and closed during peace (Livy i. t9) ; it was shut only four times before the Christian era. Probably its use is connected with war-magic; it provided the out ' going and incoming armies with a lucky way in and out. (Cf. Warde Fowler, Religious Experience, p. 126; Rose, Prim. Culture in Italy, p. 48). There was also a Janus, i.e., an archway, near the theatre of Marcellus, in the forum holitorium, erected by Gaius Duilius (Tacitus, Ann., ii. 49), if not earlier.
The beginning of the day (hence his epithet Matutinus), of the month, and of the year (January) was sacred to Janus ; on Jan. 9, the festival called Agonia was celebrated in his honour. He was invoked before any other god at the beginning of any important undertaking; his priest was the Rex Sacrorum, the representative of the ancient king in his capacity as religious head of the State. All gateways, housedoors, and entrances gen
erally were under his protection; and indeed all beginnings; hence his title Consivius, "sower," that being the beginning of f arm work. He was worshipped on the Janiculum ("door hill") ; his head is found on the as, together with the prow of a ship. He is usually represented on the earliest coins with two bearded faces, looking in opposite directions; in the time of Hadrian the num ber of faces is increased to four. In his capacity as porter or doorkeeper he holds a staff in his right hand, and a key (or keys) in his left; as such he is called Patulcius ("opener") and Clusius ("closer"). His titles Curiatius, Patricius, Quirinus originate in his worship in the gentes, the curiae, and the State, and have no reference to any special functions or characteristics. In late times he is both bearded and unbearded; in place of the staff and keys the fingers of his right hand show the number 300 (CCC.), those of his left show the number of the remaining days of the year 65 (LXV.).