A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com – Two-faced deities were worshipped in many different cultures.
Today we describe the Roman god Janus, who was believed to be the ‘god of gods’, who appeared first on the most ancient lists of Roman gods. He protected doors, gates, passages, beginnings, and endings.
A statue of the Roman god Janus (sense 1) in the collection of the Museum of Ferrara Cathedral in Ferrara, Italy. Janus is traditionally depicted as having two faces, one looking to the past and the other the future. source
However, the most important is that the Romans believed he was the god of beginnings and endings. Janus symbolizes the doors and all kinds of openings between realms, states, and conditions.
“We see his name even today in the Western calendar for the year’s first month—January. Because everything important has a beginning, Janus was the first god consulted at such events—marriages, births, seasons, days, deaths, and even new buildings, and towns. All religious ceremonies had their beginnings. If a festival of Neptune were being held, Janus would be mentioned first, so the celebration begins on the right footing. Romans held a fascination for omens. They were forever looking for signs to tell the future, and as the present passed through the doorway into the future, Janus was always present demanding consideration from each righteous Roman citizen.” 1
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