Editing Janus (section)

====Consivius====
''Consivius'', sower, is an epithet that reflects the tutelary function of the god at the first instant of human life and of life in general, conception. This function is a particular case of his function of patron of beginnings. As far as man is concerned it is obviously of the greatest importance, even though both Augustine and some modern scholars see it as minor.<ref>G. Capdeville above p. 432.</ref> Augustine shows astonishment at the fact that some of the [[Di selecti|dii selecti]] may be engaged in such tasks: "''In fact Janus himself first, when pregnancy is conceived, ... opens the way to receiving the semen''".<ref>Augustine above VII 2.</ref>

Varro on the other hand had clear the relevance of the function of starting a new life by opening the way to the semen and therefore started his enumeration of the gods with Janus, following the pattern of the Carmen Saliare.<ref>Augustine above VI 9: "Thus the same Varro starts mentioning and listing the gods from the conception of man, who have been given life from Janus"; VII 3: "... it is answered that Janus has in his power every start and therefore not without cause is he ascribed that of the opening to conception".</ref> Macrobius gives the same interpretation of the epithet in his list: "''Consivius from sowing (conserendo), i. e. from the propagation of the human genre, that is disseminated by the working of Janus''."<ref>The etymology from ''sero'', albeit clear, presents a problem with the long first ''ī'' of Consīvius: this difficulty can be overcome if one considers {{lang|la|Consēuius}}, attested by [[Tertullian]] ''Ad Nationes'' II 11, 3.</ref> as the most ancient form. He though does not consider ''{{lang|la|Conseuius}}'' to be an epithet of Janus but a theonym in its own right.

Lydus understands {{lang|la|Consivius}} as βουλαιον ({{lang|la|consiliarius}}) owing to a conflation with [[Consus]] through [[Ops]] Consiva or Consivia. The interpretation of Consus as god of advice is already present in Latin authors<ref>Paulus p. 36, 19 L; Tertullian ''De Spectaculis'' V 5; Arnobius ''Adversus Nationes'' III 23; Ausonius ''Eclogae''  XXIV 20; Servius ''Aeneis'' VIII 636; Augustine above IV 11.</ref> and is due to a folk etymology supported by the story of the abduction of the Sabine women, (which happened on the day of the [[Consualia]] aestiva), said to have been advised by Consus. However no Latin source cites relationships of any kind between Consus and Janus Consivius. Moreover, both the passages that this etymology requires present difficulties, particularly as it seems Consus cannot be etymologically related to adjective ''{{lang|la|consivius}}'' or ''{{lang|la|conseuius}}'', found in Ops Consivia and thence the implied notion of sowing.<ref>G. Capdeville above p. 434. Consus is a ''u'' theme word and the only adjective it formed is Consualia.</ref>