Editing Janus (section)

====Geminus====
''Geminus'' is the first epithet in Macrobius's list. Although the etymology of the word is unclear,<ref>A. Ernout- A. Meillet ''Dict. Etym. de la langue latine'' 4th ed. s.v. p. 268–9.</ref> it is certainly related to his most typical character, that of having two faces or heads. The proof are the numerous equivalent expressions.<ref>''bifrons'' (Vergil ''Aeneis'' VII 180; XII 198; Servius ''Aen.'' VII 607; Ausonius ''Eclogae'' X 2; ''Dom''. VI 5; Prudentius ''Sym.'' I 233; Macrobius ''Saturnalia'' I 9, 4 and 13; Augustine ''De Civ. Dei'' VII 7,8 Isidorus ''Origines'' V 33, 3); ''biceps'' (Ovid ''Fasti'' I 65; ''Pontica'' IV 4, 23); ''anceps'' (Ovid ''Metamorphoses'' XIV 334; ''Fasti'' I 95); ''biformis'' (Ovid ''Fasti'' I 89; V 424).</ref> The origin of this epithet might be either concrete, referring directly to the image of the god reproduced on coins<ref>Pliny above XXXIV 45; Plutarch ''Quaestiones Romanae'' 41, 274 e; Atheneus XV 692 e. For Italian coins cf.  E. A. Sydenham ''The coinage of the Roman Republic'' London 1952 no. 8 p. 2 and plate 4 etc.</ref> and supposed to have been introduced by king [[Numa Pompilius|Numa]] in the sanctuary at the lowest point of the Argiletum,<ref>Livy I 19, 2; Pliny ''Naturalis Historia'' XXXIV 33; Servius ''Ad Aen.'' VII 607.</ref> or to a feature of the Ianus of the ''Porta Belli'', the double gate ritually opened at the beginning of wars,<ref>Cf. Vergil ''Aen.'' VII 607 on the analogous monument in the town of [[Latinus]].</ref> or abstract, deriving metaphorically from the liminal, intermediary functions of the god themselves: both in time and space passages connected two different spheres, realms or worlds.<ref>Ovid ''Fasti'' I 73–4; Macrobius above I 9, 9; Servius ''Ad Aen.'' VII 610; Lydus above IV 2 p. 65, 7 Wünsch.</ref> The ''Janus quadrifrons'' or ''quadriformis'', brought according to tradition from Falerii in 241 BC<ref>Servius ''Ad Aen.'' VII 607; Macrobius ''Sat.'' I 9, 13; Augustin ''Civ. Dei'' VII 4, 8; Isidorus ''Origines'' VIII 11, 23.</ref> and installed by Domitian in the [[Forum of Nerva|Forum Transitorium]],<ref>Lydus above IV 1 p. 64, 4 W.</ref> although having a different meaning, seems to be connected to the same theological complex, as its image purports an ability to rule over every direction, element and time of the year. It did not give rise to a new epithet though.<ref>Macrobius above; Lydus above; Augustine above VII 8; VII 4.</ref><ref>R. Pettazzoni above p. 89: "A naïve iconographic expression of watching into the two opposite directions and thence, ideally, into every direction".</ref>