Editing Janus (section)

====Pater====
''Pater'' is perhaps the most frequent epithet of Janus, found also in the composition ''Ianuspater''. While numerous gods share this cultic epithet it seems the Romans felt it was typically pertinent to Janus.<ref>[[Atheneus]] ''Deipnosophistes'' 15, 692d: Masurius says: "The god Janus is considered among ourselves also as our father."</ref> When invoked along with other gods, usually only he is called pater.<ref>Virgil ''Aen.'' VIII 357: "Hanc Ianus Pater, hanc Saturnus condidit arcem"; Horace ''Epistulae'' I 16, 59: " "Iane pater" clare, clare cum dixit "Apollo" "; Seneca ''Apolocyntosis''IX 2: "primus interrogatur sententiam Ianus pater"; Arnobius ''Ad Nationes'' III 29: "Incipiamus ...sollemniter ab Iano et nos patre".</ref> For Janus the title is not just a term of respect; principally it marks his primordial role. He is the first of the gods and thus their father: the formula ''quasi deorum deum'' corresponds to ''diuum deus'' of the carmen Saliare.<ref>Macrobius above I 9, 14.</ref> Similarly, in the expression ''duonus Cerus'', Cerus means creator and is considered a masculine form related to [[Ceres (Roman mythology)|Ceres]].<ref>Paulus p. 109L; Probus ''In Vergilii Gergicae'' I 7; Servius ibidem.</ref>
Lydus gives Πατρίκιος (Patricius) and explains it as ''autóchthon'': since he does not give another epithet corresponding to Pater it may be inferred that Lydus understands Patricius as a synonym of Pater.<ref>Cf. Lydus ''Mag.'' I 16 p. 20, 24 W on Romulus and the patres called patricii, considered equivalent to ευπατρίδας; similar confusion in other Greek authors as Plutarch ''Romulus'' XIII 2 and 3; Zonaras ''Histor.'' VII 3.</ref> There is no evidence connecting Janus to gentilician cults or identifying him as a national god particularly venerated by the oldest patrician families.<ref>This hypothesis is advanced by L. Preller- H. Jordan ''Römische Mythologie'' Berlin 1881 2nd p. 171.</ref>