Editing Janus (section)

== Janus in Etruria ==
It has long been believed that Janus was present among the theonyms on the outer rim of the [[Piacenza Liver]] in case 3, under the name of Aaron. This fact created a problem as the god of beginnings looked to be located in a situation other than the initial, i.e. the first case. After the new readings proposed by A. Maggiani, in case 3 one should read TINS: the difficulty has thus dissolved.<ref>A. Maggiani "Placentia" apud M. Cristofani "Rivista di di epigrafia etrusca", ''Studi Etruschi'' 49 (1981), pp. 235–283, numero 37, pp. 263–267 and "Qualche osservazione sul fegato di Piacenza", ''Studi Etruschi'' 50 (1982) (issued 1984), pp. 53–88.</ref> Aaron has thence been eliminated from Franciscan theology as this was his only attestation.<ref>C. O. Thulin, ''Die Götter des Martianus Capella und der Bronzeleber von Piacenza'' (Giessen, 1906), pp. 22–24.</ref> Maggiani<ref>Above p. 263-4.</ref> remarks that this earlier identification was in contradiction with the testimony ascribed to Varro by Johannes Lydus that Janus was named ''caelum'' among the Etruscans.<ref>Lydus ''De Mensibus'' IV 2 : cf. also Varro ''Antiquitates Rerum Divinarum'' 16 fr. 230 Cardauns = apud Augustine ''De Civitate Dei'' VII 28.</ref>

On the other hand, as expected Janus is present in region I of Martianus Capella's division of Heaven and in region XVI, the last one, are to be found the ''{{lang|la|Ianitores terrestres}}'' (along with Nocturnus), perhaps to be identified in [[Limentinus|Forculus, Limentinus and Cardea]],<ref>S. Weinstock, "Martianus Capella", ''Journal of Roman Studies'', p. 106 n. 25 on the grounds of Varro apud Augustine above VII 2 and Johannes Scotus Eriugena ''Annotationes in Marcianum'', edited by C. E. Lutz (Cambridge, Mass., 1939; reprint New York, 1970), p. 29, 8.</ref> deities strictly related to Janus as his auxiliaries (or perhaps even no more than concrete subdivisions of his functions) as the meaning of their names implies: Forculus is the god of the ''forca'', a ''iugum'', low passage, Limentinus the guardian of the ''limes'', boundary, Cardea the goddess of hinges, here of the gates separating Earth and Heaven.<ref>Tertullian ''Idolatria'' XV 5; ''De Corona Militis'' XIII 9.</ref>

The problem posed by the qualifying adjective ''terrestres'' earthly, can be addressed in two different ways.
One hypothesis is that Martianus's depiction implies a descent from Heaven onto Earth.<ref>S. Weinstock "Martianus Capella" in ''Journal of Roman Studies'' p. 104 and 106 .</ref> However Martianus's depiction does not look to be confined to a division Heaven-Earth as it includes the Underworld and other obscure regions or remote recesses of Heaven. Thence one may argue that the articulation Ianus-Ianitores could be interpreted as connected to the idea of the Gates of Heaven (the ''Synplegades'') which open on the Heaven on one side and on Earth or the Underworld on the other.<ref>S. Weinstock above p. 106 n. 25; E. L. Highbarger, ''The Gates of Dream: An archaeological examination of Vergil, Aeneid VI 893–899'' (Baltimore, 1940); [[A. K. Coomaraswamy]], ''The Door in the Sky'' (Princeton, 1997); M. Eliade ''Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasis'' (Princeton, 2004); G. Capdeville, "Les dieux de Martianus Capella", ''Revue de l'histoire des religions'' 213/3 (1996), pp. 293–4.</ref>

From other archaeological documents though it has become clear that the Etruscans had another god who was double-faced like Janus: [[Culsans|Culśanś]], of which there is a bronze statuette from [[Cortona]] (now at Cortona Museum). While Janus is a bearded adult, Culśans is an unbearded youth, making his identification with [[Hermes]] look possible.<ref>A. Pfiffig ''Religio Etrusca'' Graz 1975 p. 330-1.</ref> However, his name is also connected with the Etruscan word for doors and gates.<ref>E. Simon, "Gods in harmony", in ''Etruscan Religion'', edited by N. Thomas De Grummond (Univ. of Texas Press, 2006) p. 58. Cf. also goddess Culśu, the gatekeeper of the Underworld, holding a torch and a key, on the sarchophagus of Hasti Afunei from [[Chiusi]].</ref>

According to Capdeville, [[Culsans|Culśans]] may also be found on the outer rim of the Piacenza Liver, on case 14, in the compound form ''CULALP'', i.e., "of [[Culsans|Culśans]] and of [[Alpanu|Alpan(u)]]" on the authority of Pfiffig, but perhaps here it indicates instead the female goddess Culśu, the guardian of the door of the Underworld.<ref>A. Pfiffig above pp. 330–331 on Culśu and p. 280 on Alpanu. In Capdeville's citation it looks the author is unaware of existence of two different gods named Culśanś and Culśu respectively.</ref> Although the location is not strictly identical, there is some approximation in his situations on the Liver and in Martianus' system.

A. Audin connects the figure of Janus to [[Culsans|Culśans]] and [[Turms]] (Etruscan rendering of Hermes, the Greek god mediator between the different worlds, brought by the Etruscan from the Aegean Sea), considering these last two Etruscan deities as the same.<ref>A. Audin above p. 96.</ref> This interpretation would then identify Janus with Greek god [[Hermes]]. Etruscan medals from [[Volterra]] too show the double-headed god and the Janus Quadrifrons from [[Falerii]] may have an Etruscan origin.<ref>L. Schmitz in W. Smith above p. 551.</ref>