Janus

In Roman mythology, Janus (or Ianus) was the god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings and endings. His most prominent remnant in modern culture is his namesake, the month of January, which begins the new year. He is most often depicted as having two faces or heads, facing in opposite directions. Janus is one of the few major deities in Roman mythology that does not have a Greek counterpart. William Betham argued that the cult arrived from the Mi... more

In Roman mythology, Janus (or Ianus) was the god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings and endings. His most prominent remnant in modern culture is his namesake, the month of January, which begins the new year. He is most often depicted as having two faces or heads, facing in opposite directions. Janus is one of the few major deities in Roman mythology that does not have a Greek counterpart. William Betham argued that the cult arrived from the Middle East and that Janus corresponds to the Baal-ianus or Belinus of the Chaldeans sharing a common origin with the Oannes of Berosus and thus with the Mesopotamian figure of Uanna known from seventh century BCE texts . Janus was usually depicted with two heads facing in opposite directions. According to a legend, he had received from the god Saturn, in reward for the hospitality received, the gift to see both future and past. Janus-like heads of gods related to Hermes have been found in Greece, perhaps suggesting a compound god. These double... less