Ianos

Ianos (gr. Ἰανός) or Janus (lat. Iānus) is one of the few prominent Greco-Roman Gods whose Greek name is derived from the Latin language. His iconography too – as a bearded male figure with two faces, one facing forwards, one back – is striking and unique, with no classical Greek precedents. As such, Greco-Roman intellectuals, whether they wrote in Latin or Greek, were especially interesting in speculating about his nature, compared to other deities who were better known and understood. This page is therefore likewise focused on the nature of the god, and will only briefly address his iconography and worship.