Janus: God of Beginnings, Gates, & Transitions

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In ancient Roman religion and theology, Janus is the God of Beginnings, Gates, Time, Dualities, and Transitions.

The ancient Romans had a specific God who held the key, so to speak, to the metaphorical doors or gateways between what was and what is to come—the liminal space of transitioning out of one period of time and into something new.

Ancient Romans had a god or goddess for everything: Poseidon, god of the sea; Venus, goddess of love and beauty; and Apollo, god of the sun. Other well-known Roman gods include Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Mars, Neptune, Orcus, Ceres, Juno, Luna Diana, and Vesta. Then there’s Janus, a lesser-known god, but arguably one of the most important.

In Roman theology, Janus is the God of Beginnings, Gates, Time, Dualities, and Transitions. Janus represented the middle ground between both concrete and abstract dualities such as life/death, beginning/end, youth/adulthood, rural/urban, war/peace, and barbarism/civilization.

Janus is known as the initiator of human life, transformations between stages of life, and shifts from one historical era to another. Ancient Romans believed Janus ruled over life events such as weddings, births, and deaths. He oversaw seasonal events such as planting, harvests, seasonal changes, and the new year. According to Roman theology, Janus s present at the beginning of the world. As the God of Gates, Janus guarded the gates of heaven and held access to heaven and other gods. For this reason, Janus ws often invoked first in ancient Roman religious ceremonies, and during public sacrifices, offerings were given to Janus before any other deity. In fact, there is evidence that Janus was worshipped long before many of the other Roman gods, dating all the way back to the time of Romulus (the founder and first ruler of Rome).

If you’ve ever wondered how the month of January was named, you have Janus to thank. As the Roman god of beginnings and transitions, Janus is the eponym of January the God of Snow & the first month of a new year.

What is unusual about the god Janus is his iconic image. As the god of transitions and dualities, Janus is portrayed with two faces—one facing the past, and one facing the future. He also holds a key in his right hand, which symbolizes his protection of doors, gates, thresholds, and other separations or openings between spatial boundaries. In ancient Rome, the symbol of the key also signified that a traveler has come to find safe harbor or trade goods in peace.

Janus also oversaw the initiation of financial enterprises and humankind’s transition from barbarism to civilization. A major aspect of this was the creation of coins. Roman myth says that Janus was the first (among the gods or humans) to mint coins.

Because of this, the image of his double-faced head appeared on many Roman coins. These coins can still be found in museums today, and representations of Janus coins are popular on jewelry.

While most Roman deities have a Greek equivalent, there is no Greek god that serves as Janus’ counterpart. This can cause some confusion, leading people to wonder if Janus is a Greek or a Roman god. The Greeks do contain a character similar to Janus: Orthus, a two-faced dog. Similar to Janus, Orthus has one face looking to the past and one to the future. 

Though the traditions and worship surrounding the Roman god Janus were practiced long ago, similar practices endure today. Many Jewish homes, for instance, display a mezuzah on the doorway, following the commandment to “write the words of God on the gates and doorposts of your house.” Similarly, Christians often display a cross above the entrance to their home, and Muslims have specific rituals and greetings for entering a mosque. If you’re nonreligious, perhaps you display a meaningful photograph, picture, or symbol near your front door—a positive image or token that greets visitors to your home.

Because events like season changes, a new year or month, birthdays, births, deaths, marriages, and even starting a new job are, in a sense, doorways between the past and future, it’s beneficial to honor them: Reflect on what you’ve experienced, plan and set goals for the future, celebrate change and transformation.