Editing Janus (section)

====Solar god theories====
According to [[Macrobius]] who cites [[Nigidius Figulus]] and [[Cicero]], ''Janus'' and ''Jana'' ([[Diana (mythology)|Diana]]) are a pair of divinities, worshipped as [[Apollo]] or the [[Sol (Roman mythology)|sun]] and [[Luna (mythology)|moon]], whence Janus received sacrifices before all the others, because through him is apparent the way of access to the desired deity.<ref>[[Macrobius]] ''Saturnalia'' I 9, 8–9</ref><ref>[[Cicero]] ''[[De Natura Deorum]]'' ii. 67.</ref>

A similar solar interpretation has been offered by A. Audin who interprets the god as the issue of a long process of development, starting with the [[Sumeric]] cultures, from the two solar pillars located on the eastern side of temples, each of them marking the direction of the rising sun at the dates of the two [[solstices]]: the southeastern corresponding to the Winter and the northeastern to the Summer solstice. These two pillars would be at the origin of the theology of the [[divine twins]], one of whom is mortal (related to the NE pillar, nearest the Northern region where the sun does not shine) and the other is immortal (related to the SE pillar and the Southern region where the sun always shines). Later these iconographic models evolved in the Middle East and Egypt into a single column representing two torsos and finally a single body with two heads looking at opposite directions.<ref>{{cite journal |first=A. |last=Audin |year=1956 |title=Dianus bifrons ou les deux stations solaires, piliers jumeaux et portiques solsticiaux |journal=Revue de géographie de Lyon |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=191–198|doi=10.3406/geoca.1956.2090 }}</ref>

[[Numa Pompilius|Numa]], in his regulation of the [[Roman calendar]], called the first month ''[[Ianuarius|Januarius]]'' after Janus, according to tradition considered the highest divinity at the time.