Ianus

Jānus, i, m. [root i, ire, prop. a going, a going through, passage; cf. ianua],

• an old Italian deity. He was represented with a face on the front and another on the back of his head, Ov. F. 1, 245; hence, anceps, id. M. 14, 334. The month of January, Mensis Jani, Ov. F. 2, 51, was sacred to him, as were all other beginnings. The myth makes him a king of Latium or Etruria, where he hospitably received Saturn when expelled by Jupiter from Crete, Macr. S. 1, 7, 8, 9. He had a small temple in the Forum, with two doors opposite to each other, which in time of war stood open and in time of peace were shut; the temple was thrice closed on this account: in the time of Numa, after the first Punic war, and after the battle of Actium, Ov. F. 1, 281. With reference to his temple, the deity was called Janus geminus, or Janus Quirinus, Macr. S. 1, 9; Suet. Aug. 22; for which, poet.: Janus Quirini, Hor. C. 4, 15, 9.—Joined with pater: Januspater, Gell. 5, 12, 5.—
• II Transf.
• • A The temple of Janus: Janum ad infimum Argiletum indicem pacis bellique fecit, Liv. 1, 19; cf. Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 1.—
  • B An arched passageway, covered passage, arcade: janos tres faciendos locavit, Liv. 41, 27; 2, 49; Cic. N. D. 2, 27, 67; Suet. Aug. 31.—
  • C In partic., Jani, four arched passages in the Roman Forum, where the merchants and money-changers had their stand: qui Puteal Janumque timet, celeresque Calendas, Ov. R. Am. 561: haec Janus summus ab imo Prodocet, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 54: postquam omnis res mea Janum Ad medium fracta est, id. S. 2, 3, 18; Cic. Off. 2, 25, 90; id. Phil. 6, 5, 15 al.—
  • D A year: vive, vale et totidem venturos congere Janos, quot, etc., Aus. Ep. 20, 13.

Iānus, ī, m., I) alter italischer Gott der Türen und Tore, von den Alten schon verschieden aufgefaßt; sein Bild erscheint hauptsächlich auf Münzen als Doppelkopf (daher Ianus bifrons). Er soll die Burg Ianiculum erbaut haben, a Iano Ianiculum (conditum), Solin. 2, 5. Ihm war der Januar heilig, dah. Iani mensis, Monat Januar, Ov. fast. 2, 48. – Überhaupt waren ihm, wie der Anfang des Jahres und Tages, so auch alle Anfänge geweiht, penes Ianum sunt prima, penes Iovem summa, Varro b. Augustin. de civ. dei 7, 9: Ianus pater, Verg. Aen. 8, 357. Hor. ep. 1, 16, 59. Iuven. 6, 394. Vgl. Wissowa Religion u. Kultus der Römer² 103 ff. – ➳ Nbf. Diānus, Iovi Diano, Corp. inscr. Lat. 5, 783. – arch. Genet. Ianus, Porphyr. Hor. ep. 1, 20, 1: Dat. Ianui, Lib. pontif. bei Fest. 189 (a), 17: Abl. Ianu, Corp. inscr. Lat. 10, 4660. – arch. Ianes, Carm. Sal. I, 2 Zander: Abl. Iane, Carm. Sal. fr. nach Tert. apol. 10 u. ad nat. 2, 12. – II) appellat.: 1) ein verdeckter Durchgangsbogen (s. Cic. de nat. deor. 2, 67), und zwar: a) ein von Numa angelegter verdeckter Durchgangsbogen am Fuße des Argiletum, dessen beide Öffnungen nach Osten und Westen gerichtet waren, geschmückt mit der Bildsäule des Janus, weshalb dieser Doppelbogen als Tempel galt, Liv. 1, 19, 2. Vell. 2, 38, 3. – b) ein Nebendurchgang der porta Carmentalis, dextro Iano portae, Liv. 2, 49, 8. – c) ein verdeckter Durchgang aus einer Straße in die andere, Suet. Dom. 13, 2: bes. aber die Durchgänge, die durch die das Forum rings umgebenden Säulengänge u. Tabernen führten; bekannt sind besonders drei, Ianus summus u. imus (Hor. ep. 1, 1, 54) u. Ianus medius, unter dem od. in dessen Nähe die Kaufleute, Wechsler und Buchhändler saßen, s. Cic. de off. 2, 87; Cic. Phil. 6, 15. Ov. rem. 561. – 2) poet.: a) = der Monat Januar, Ov. fast. 2, 1. – b) = das Jahr, venturi Iani, Auson. epist. 20, 13. Anthol. Lat. 910, 78 R. – Dav. abgel.:

A) Iānālis, e, von Janus erhalten, janisch, virga, Ov. fast. 6, 165. – B) Iānuālis, e, zu Janus gehörig, janisch, a) adi.: porta, Varro LL. 5, 165. – b) subst.: Iānual, ālis, n. (sc. libum), ein Kuchen, der dem Janus dargebracht ward, Paul. ex Fest. 104, 18 (vgl. Ov. fast. 1, 127). – C) Iānuārius, a, um, zu Janus gehörig, januarisch, Ianuarius mensis, Cic., u. bl. Ianuarius, Caes., der Monat Januar, Jänner. – dah. wieder Iānuārius, a, um, zum Januar gehörig, des Januar, Kalendae Ianuariae, Cic.: Nonae Ianuariae, Colum.: Idus Ianuariae, Caes. – ➳ Abl. Plur. Ianuaris, Corp. inscr. Lat. 1, 199, 35.

See: Janus

Iānus ī, m

• IA-, an old Italian deity, god of doors, passages, and entrances, of all beginnings, and of the month of January: anceps, with two faces, O.: bifrons, V.: Ianus Quirini, H.—The temple of Janus: ad infimum Argiletum, L.—An arched passage-way, covered passage, arcade: transitiones perviae Iani nominantur: dexter Ianus portae, Cs.—Esp., four arched passages in the Forum, the exchange for merchants and bankers: medius: summus, H.

Ianus

and Iana. Two ancient Latin divinities, who were worshipped as the sun and moon. The names Ianus and Iana were thought to be other forms of Dianus and Diana (Varro, R. R. i. 37, 3; Macrob. i. 9), which words contain the same root as dies, day. The ancients, however, also connected the words with ianua, a door, which itself contains the root of ire, “to go.” Ianus occupied an important place in the Roman religion. He presided over the beginning of everything, and was therefore always invoked first in every undertaking, even before Iupiter. He opened the year and the seasons, and hence the first month of the year was called after him (mensis Iani, Ovid, Fasti, ii. 51). He was the porter of heaven, and therefore bore the surnames Patulcus or Patulcius (pateo), “the opener,” and Clusius or Clusivius (cludo), “the shutter” (Ovid, Fasti, 130). On earth, also, he was the guardian deity of gates, and hence is commonly represented with two heads, because every door looks two ways (Ianus bifrons). He is sometimes represented with four heads (Ianus quadrifrons), because he presided over the four seasons. At Rome, Numa is said to have dedicated to Ianus the covered passage bearing his name, which is commonly, but erroneously, called a temple. It stood close by the Forum. A temple to Ianus was built by Duilius, to take the place of this passage; and was restored by Augustus. It appears to have been left open in war to indicate symbolically that the god had gone out to assist the Roman warriors, and to have been shut in time of peace that the god, the safeguard of the city, might not escape. The gates of Ianus were closed only three times from Numa to Augustus, and twice by Augustus. On New-year's day, which was the principal festival of the god, people gave presents to one another, consisting of sweetmeats and copper coins, showing on one side the double head of Ianus (see illustration under Bifrons) and on the other a ship. The general name for these presents was strenae, the modern French étrennes.

The connection of Ianus with the year was indicated by representing him with three fingers of his right hand bent so as to suggest the numeral CCC (300), while the fingers of the left hand were spread for the numerals L+V (55), and in later times L+V+V+V (65), for the 355 days of the old Roman year and 365 of the Julian year (Pliny , Pliny H. N. xxxiv. 7).