The gods of Rome are famous all over the world for the names of our English months. We are taking about the Roman god after whom the month of January is named. We are talking about Janus, who is called the god of the beginning. The month of January was named after him. At that time ‘Janus’ was called ‘Ianius’, because there was no character like ‘J’ in the ancient Latin language. Let us know about the Roman deity ‘Janus’ based on these.
Gods of past and future
According to the mythological legends of ancient Rome, Janus is called not only the god of the beginning but also the end. It means to say that Janus is the only god who keeps an eye on the past and the future simultaneously. The statue or picture of Janus that is seen has two faces of Janus, out of which one represents the past and the other represents the future.
If legends are to be believed, he is the only Roman god who knew the beginning and end of the universe. If an attempt is made to understand the philosophy of Romdevata, then the conclusion comes out that only the deities can keep an eye on the past and the future. The man should live in the present. But his life plans should be made based on learning from past mistakes and what will be its result in the future.
What do historians say ?
Roman historians believe that Janus was the only one who got the opportunity to stay behind the gates of heaven when creation began. His role was in creating religion, create life and then create the gods. That’s why the Rome god Janus is worshiped first considering it paramount among the Roman gods.
What are legends ?
The authors of Greek mythology wrote many legends about Janus. It is believed that Jandev Krane and Janus have a relationship with each other. Crain i.e. Cardia was the goddess of attraction and she also had magical powers. She used to attract people and call them to the mountain cave and there they were imprisoned. He could see past and future, and because of this power, he killed Creon i.e. Cardia.
In addition, there is another legend in which Janus ruled the kingdom of Latium (which later became Rome) along with his sister Camis. Janus temples were also established at that time. However, these temples remained closed for centuries, behind which a myth involving the events of Rome’s construction is believed to be an important reason. A woman lived in the kingdom of Latium with her two sons, Romulus and Ramas. Her father Numitor was known as the god of war, but Numitor’s brother Amulius killed him and began to rule Alba Longar.
Then there was a prophecy that two children named Romulus and Ramas would become the cause of the downfall of Amulius’ empire. So Amulius started killing all the newborn babies in the kingdom. In such a situation, the mother of Romulus and Ramas handed over her children to a shepherd. That shepherd enabled them to overthrow Amulius from power. This is what happened in the future. Romulus and Ramas ended the old empire and established a new empire named Romas, which later became known as Rome. It was during his reign that once again the doors of the temple of Janus were opened. It is said that thereafter he always protected Rome.
He is known as Father of the Year
Janus has been referred to as Father of the Year. To count the year, 12 altars were built in the temple of Janus. Each altar denoted a month. From 153 BC until the first day of January, the Chief Justice began the work of his office. Their day and month began with a prayer to Janus. He was worshiped before the beginning of any auspicious work, such as before birth, marriage, etc. It was believed that the path to the other gods of Roman religion could be found only through the worship of Janus. Thus the introduction of Christianity into the Roman Empire brought about changes in many concepts, but it was only Janus whose symbol remained intact for centuries. The two-faced symbol of Janus is preserved even today in Rome’s doors, coins, and seals.