JANUARIUS, ST., or SAN GEN NARO, a martyr of the Christian faith under Diocletian. Bishop of Benevento in the 3rd century. According to the Neapolitan tradition, he was taken pri soner at Nola; and the place of his mar tyrdom, in 305, was Pozzuoli. His body is preserved at Naples, in the crypt of the cathedral, and in a chapel of the same church are also preserved the head of the martyr, and two phials supposed to contain his blood. On three festivals of each year—the chief of which is the day of the martyrdom, Sept. 19, the others the first Sunday evening in May and Dec. 16, as well as on occasions of public danger or calamity, the head and the phials of the blood are carried in solemn procession to the high altar of the cathedral, or of the church of St. Clare, where after prayer of longer or shorter duration, the blood, on the phials being brought into contact with the head, is believed to liquefy and is presented for the veneration of the people, or for the conviction of the doubter. It occasion ally happens that a considerable time elapses before the liquefaction takes place, and sometimes it altogether fails. The latter is regarded as an omen of the worst import.
JANUARY, the first month of the January, the first month of the year. It was, among the Romans, held sacred to Janus, from whom it derived its name, and was added to the calendar along with February by Numa. It was not tin the 18th century that January was universally adopted by European nations as the first month of the year, though the Romans considered it as such as far back as 251 B. C.
jANUS (jan-us), one of the divinities of ancient Rome, and the only one having no equivalent in the Grecian mythology. He was represented as a son of Apollo, and as haying built a small town on the Tiber, which he called Janiculum. As the name implies, Janus was the god of doors and gates, and in token of his of. fice carried a key in his hand. The first month of the English year receives its name from him, and he presided over the dawn of every day and the commence ment of every undertaking. Janus was usually represented with two heads, look ing in opposite directions. His temple at Rome was kept open in the time of war, and shut in time of peace.