A Latin deity represented with two faces looking in opposite directions. Numa is said to have dedicated to Janus the covered passage at Rome, near the Forum, which is usually called the Temple of Janus. This passage was open in war and closed in peace.
Adopted Etruscan God of gates, doors, beginnings and endings.
Ancient twin-faced Roman God, KEEPER of the DOORS (janua). JANUARY.
(Roman mythology) the Roman god of doorways and passages; is depicted with two faces on opposite sides of his head
In Roman mythology Janus was the god of good beginnings, which, his followers believed, ensured good endings. He was also the god of doors and gateways. His principal temple in the Forum had doors facing east and west to greet the beginning and ending of the day, between which stood his statue with two faces gazing in opposite directions. As the god of good beginnings he was publicly invoked on the first day of January, the month that bears his name, as it marks the beginning of a new year.
Double-headed god of beginnings
In Roman mythology, Janus was the god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings, and endings. His most apparent remnant in modern culture is his namesake, the month of January.