Question 1

Who is Janus and what is his main role in Roman mythology?

Accepted Answer

Janus is a unique Roman deity, depicted with two faces looking simultaneously at the past and the future. What you need to remember is that he is not a warrior or agricultural god like the others, but the guardian of thresholds, doors, and beginnings. The Romans invoked him first in all prayers, even before Jupiter, because every undertaking required his blessing to succeed. His name is also linked to the Latin word janua (door), and the month of January is dedicated to him.

Question 2

Why is Janus depicted with two faces?

Accepted Answer

What distinguishes Janus from other Roman gods is his bifrons (two-faced) representation, which symbolizes his ability to see both the past and the future. Imagine each face looking in opposite directions: one toward what has been, the other toward what will be. This unique iconography illustrates his role as the god of transitions: he stands at the gates of time, watching over passages between years, wars and peace, or stages of life.

Question 3

What objects are associated with the cult of Janus?

Accepted Answer

The Romans associated objects symbolizing passages and thresholds with Janus. Among them, the Roman key represents his authority over opening and closing doors, while the door itself is his domain par excellence. Roman coins struck with his image, such as the bronze as, bear his two faces. Finally, the domestic altar (lararium) received offerings in his honor during new beginnings. These concrete objects remind us that Janus was present in the daily life of Romans, from home to city.

Question 4

What was the role of the Temple of Janus in the Roman Forum?

Accepted Answer

The Temple of Janus in the Roman Forum was not an ordinary place of worship: its bronze doors remained open in times of war and closed in times of peace. What you need to remember is that this ritual made Janus the guarantor of Roman peace. According to tradition, the doors were closed only three times under the Republic, as Rome was often in conflict. This temple thus embodied the transition between war and peace, a symbolic threshold that Janus guarded.

Question 5

What do ancient texts say about Janus?

Accepted Answer

Ancient sources, such as Ovid's Fasti or Pliny the Elder's Natural History, describe Janus as the god of beginnings and doors. Ovid writes that he "sees both what has been and what will be," while Pliny emphasizes his antiquity and double face. Augustine of Hippo, in his Theology of the Romans, presents him as the first of the gods, the one who opens and closes. These texts show that Janus held a central place in Roman religion, long before the Christianization of the Empire.

Question 6

How did the Roman New Year festival in honor of Janus take place?

Accepted Answer

On January 1, the day of the Kalends of January, the Romans celebrated Janus with sacrifices and exchanges of wishes called strenae. To understand this, you need to remember that this month bears his name (Januarius) and marks the threshold of the new year. Citizens offered honey cakes, wine, and incense, hoping that Janus would bless the passage to the future. This tradition shows how much the Romans considered time as a series of transitions under the protection of the two-faced god.

Question 7

What is the link between Janus and the founding of Rome?

Accepted Answer

According to tradition, the cult of Janus dates back to the origins of Rome, around 753 BC. King Numa Pompilius, in the 7th century BC, instituted rituals in his honor, notably the opening of his doors in times of war. What is often forgotten is that Janus was venerated long before Rome became a Mediterranean power: he was among the oldest Italic deities. His temple in the Forum and the Janiculum hill testify to this presence since the earliest times of the city.

Question 8

What major historical events are associated with Janus?

Accepted Answer

Several turning points in Roman history are linked to Janus, as he presides over transitions. For example, the fall of the monarchy in 509 BC, the establishment of the Empire in 27 BC with Augustus, or the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, which marks the beginning of Christianization. What stands out here is that Janus is not just a god of myths, but a symbol of the political and religious changes that Rome underwent. The Romans saw in him the guardian of every era that opens or closes.

Question 9

What ritual vocabulary is linked to Janus?

Accepted Answer

The cult of Janus gave rise to key words such as janua (door), pomerium (sacred boundary of Rome), or sacra (rites). What you need to remember is that these terms all refer to the idea of passage and threshold. For instance, the pomerium delimited the sacred space of the city, and Janus symbolically guarded its entrance. The Romans also used the word auspices to designate the divine signs they consulted before any action, invoking Janus first. This vocabulary shows how religion permeated public and private life.

Question 10

How is Janus depicted on Roman coins?

Accepted Answer

Roman coins, especially the bronze as, often bear the image of Janus with his two faces. What distinguishes this representation is that it is not a simple portrait: it embodies the dual nature of the god, turned both toward the past and the future. Struck as early as the 3rd century BC, these coins circulated throughout the Empire, spreading the image of Janus even to the provinces. For a Roman, holding such a coin was to have in hand a reminder of the beginnings and transitions that marked his life.

Janus

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