Janusnoun
/ˈdʒeɪ.nəs//ˈdʒeɪ.nəs/in Roman mythology (= ancient stories), the god of beginnings, gates, and doorways. He is often shown with two faces, one looking forward and one looking backward:
January takes its name from the Roman god Janus.
More examples
- Janus is the two-faced Roman god that glimpses both the past and the future.
- A Roman god, Janus guarded doorways and was therefore the god of auspicious beginnings.
- Janus developed into a god of all beginnings, and accordingly the month of January was named in his honour.
- The two faces of the god Janus had appeared on opposite sides of Rome’s War Gates.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Mythology: Greek & Roman myth
- ambrosia
- Aphrodite
- Apollo
- Ares
- Artemis
- Cyclops
- Diana
- Dionysus
- fate
- gorgon
- Hades
- harpy
- Neptune
- Nike
- nymph
- Orpheus
- Pleiades
- the Fates idiom
- Victoria
- Zeus
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Mythological & legendary characters