god of transitions

Ancient stone sculpture of Janus, Roman god, with a human face, ornate headgear, and surrounding carvings

Janus: Roman God of Beginnings and Transitions

Orin Vale

Janus is one of the most distinctive gods in Roman religion, presiding over beginnings, endings, thresholds, and passage. Often depicted with two faces and linked to doors, gates, and January itself, Janus reveals how the Romans understood time, ritual change, and the movement between one state and another.