Janus

Two-faced Roman god of beginnings, gates and transitions; no Greek equivalent.

Domains

• beginnings and doorways

Powers

• Opens and closes all gates, doors and beginnings
• Sees at once what is past and what is to come

Epithets

• Bifrons latin · Bifrons · literaryTwo-faced / two-fronted; Janus who looks both ways at onceVerg. Aen. 7.180; Ov. Fast. 1.65, 95-144 (primary)
• Geminus latin · Geminus · cultThe Twin / double; Janus of the gates whose doors marked war and peaceLivy 1.19; Suet. Aug. 22; Verg. Aen. 7.607 (primary)
• Patulcius et Clusius latin · Patulcius et Clusius · literaryOpener and Closer; Janus as god of opening and shutting the gatesOv. Fast. 1.129-130; Macrob. Sat. 1.9.15-16 (primary)
• Ianus Pater Latin · Ianus Pater · cultJanus the FatherHorace, Satires 2; Livy 8; Macrobius, Saturnalia 1 (primary)
• Ianus Quirinus Latin · Ianus Quirinus · cultJanus Quirinus (peace-and-war title; the Geminus gates)Suetonius, Augustus; Macrobius, Saturnalia 1; Livy 1 (primary)
• Consivius Latin · Consivius · cultthe Sower/propagator (from conserere)Macrobius, Saturnalia 1 (citing Cornelius Labeo) (primary)

Sources

• existence: Ovid, Fasti 1.63-100 (primary)