Character History
The pantheon of the ancient gods is symbolic and diverse. Each era brought into the culture of our ancestors, traditions and beliefs, which came to the people of the XXI century in the form of myths and legends. Greek mythology is different from Roman. Roman deities have doubles in Greek legends. God Janus duplicates the functions of several representatives of Olympus at once. What was unusual Janus, what abilities had?History of appearance
Molus Janus - Hero of Roman mythology. The character was the ruler of Lazium, located in the territory of the ancient Italy, where Rome is standing today. The myth states that God lived in the palace on a hill called Yalikul, on the right bank of the Tiber River. Janus displaced Jupiter, whose powers in Roman mythology are similar to the functionality of the Greek God Zeus.
According to the legend, Saturn lost the throne and traveled to Lazium on the ship. Janus welcomedly and friendly met him, chases to please the uninvited guest. Almighty Saturn had a ward for nothing, which allowed God to send a gaze at the same time as a future.
The legendary character was considered a patron saint of time, the ruler of all sorts of entrances and exits, and, accordingly, the beginning and end. One of the interpretations of the name of Janus is the god of chaos. The concept of chaos in this version of the etymology exhibits the initial nature of God.
The Roman God was not famous for the exploits or special things, but his power was time and day solstice. The name of Janus translates from Latin as the "door". The mythical character was often portrayed in the image of a key holding the door unlocking the door in the hand.
Double God
Janus is depicted with two persons who are directed in opposite sides. The people of the two-faced God were called twirl, many-sided. The person sent towards the future was young, and the fact that he looked around in the past was adults. Janus unites, in addition to the past and the future, two other starts: bad and good, therefore the image of two faces is suitable for the image characteristic in several directions.
Scientists wondered why Janus depicts everything with two persons, because the third category remains without attention - the present. Over time, the researchers concluded that the current moment cannot be captured at a specific second. It is impossible to pass it visually, so the third facility is not visible.
God patronized Romans in several spheres. He helped the warriors, so in honor of Janus on the territory of the current Rome, a temple was built, accessible to visiting only during the war. The Roman Empire constantly led any military action, so the gate of the temple could have been closed three times in the history of existence. Janus contributed to his wards in shipbuilding, fagored to farmers, agrarians and those who dealt with computing. In addition, God has a suggestion for clairvoyance, which was relevant due to relationships with matter.
Attentive person, getting acquainted with the image of God Janus, will notice that on his right hand he has a 300 Roman numerals, and on the left - 65. It is believed that these are numbers related to the time calculus. Janus is closely associated with the summer, which we use today. In his honor, the month is named January, in Latin - Yanuaria. The Ninth of January, the Romans coped the holiday of agonium dedicated to the beloved deity.
The character did not have specific qualities inherent in the gods. He did not differ in beauty or special forces. His power is incomparable with the abilities of the supreme gods of Pantheon. Respect among people, the Divine helped win the ability to manage natural phenomena. In the morning, Janus unlocked heavenly gates, releasing the sun on the horizon, and in the evenings closed, the screaming of the boost of the ravoisi and providing the sky at the disposal of stars and the moon.
Interesting Facts
- Today, the Two-Leak Janus is a phraseologist, which is used in the description of a hypocrite man demonstrating doubles and insincerity. In Roman mythology, the characteristic of God did not carry a negative color, but people perceived the image literally and built an associative series. Janus combined two starts in one person: good and bad, present and past. Opposites determined the perception of descendants.
- Mythology has always inspired sculptors and artists. Statues embodying the appearance of Janus are located in the Vatican, on the bullish forum in Rome. Pictures describing the ancient stories belong to the brushes of Nikola Pussen and other painters.
- When Peter the Great commanded to change the Russian calendar and postponed the celebration of the New Year for the first January, the displeasure Boyar was provoked by non-innovation, and the fact that the holiday symbolized the celebration in honor of the pagan deity.
- Titan Epimeus, who took the Pandora's wife sent to him by Zeus, does not intersect in myths with Janus. But these mythological characters met in astronomy - their names called the two satellites of the planet Saturn, located just 50 kilometers from each other.