Temple of Janus
Encyclopedia
In ancient Rome
, the main Temple of Janus stood in the Roman Forum
. It had doors on both ends, and inside was a statue of Janus
, the two-faced god of boundaries. The Temple doors (the "Gates of Janus
") were closed in times of peace and opened in times of war.
The closing of the Temple doors was a very rare event. It is said to have happened for the first time under King Numa Pompilius
(715-673 BC), for the second time under Titus Manlius
in 235 BC
, three more times by Augustus in 29 BC
, 25 BC
, and possibly 13 BC
a sixth time by Nero
in 66 AD and a seventh time under Vespasian
in AD 70. It is likely that Trajan and Hadrian and Antoninus Pius each closed the Gates of Janus once.
, in Life of King Numa, wrote:
The Res Gestae Divi Augusti
, a first person account of the life of Augustus
, claims:
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, the main Temple of Janus stood in the Roman Forum
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum is a rectangular forum surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum...
. It had doors on both ends, and inside was a statue of Janus
Janus (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions, thence also of gates, doors, doorways, endings and time. He is usually a two-faced god since he looks to the future and the past...
, the two-faced god of boundaries. The Temple doors (the "Gates of Janus
Gates of Janus
In Roman history and legend, the Gates of Janus were opened when Rome went to war and shut when the whole Roman world was at peace. According to Livy 1.19 the second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, decided to distract the early, warlike Romans from their violent ways by instilling in them awe and...
") were closed in times of peace and opened in times of war.
The closing of the Temple doors was a very rare event. It is said to have happened for the first time under King Numa Pompilius
Numa Pompilius
Numa Pompilius was the legendary second king of Rome, succeeding Romulus. What tales are descended to us about him come from Valerius Antias, an author from the early part of the 1st century BC known through limited mentions of later authors , Dionysius of Halicarnassus circa 60BC-...
(715-673 BC), for the second time under Titus Manlius
Titus Manlius Torquatus (235 BC)
Titus Manlius Torquatus, son of Titus , was Roman Republican consul 235 BC and 224 BC, censor 231 BC, and dictator 208 BC.-Family background:...
in 235 BC
235 BC
Year 235 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Torquatus and Bulbus...
, three more times by Augustus in 29 BC
29 BC
Year 29 BC was either a common year starting on Friday or Saturday or a leap year starting on Thursday, Friday or Saturday of the Julian calendar and a leap year starting on Thursday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
, 25 BC
25 BC
Year 25 BC was either a common year starting on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday or a leap year starting on Wednesday or Thursday of the Julian calendar and a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
, and possibly 13 BC
13 BC
Year 13 BC was either a common year starting on Friday, Saturday or Sunday or a leap year starting on Friday or Saturday of the Julian calendar and a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
a sixth time by Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
in 66 AD and a seventh time under Vespasian
Vespasian
Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
in AD 70. It is likely that Trajan and Hadrian and Antoninus Pius each closed the Gates of Janus once.
Ancient descriptions
PlutarchPlutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
, in Life of King Numa, wrote:
[Janus] also has a temple at Rome with double doors, which they call the gates of war; for the temple always stands open in time of war, but is closed when peace has come. The latter was a difficult matter, and it rarely happened, since the realm was always engaged in some war, as its increasing size brought it into collision with the barbarous nations which encompassed it round about. But in the time of AugustusAugustusAugustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
it was closed, after he had overthrown Mark AntonyMark AntonyMarcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
; and before that, when Marcus AtiliusMarcus Atilius RegulusMarcus Atilius Regulus , a general and consul in the ninth year of the First Punic War...
and Titus ManliusTitus Manlius Torquatus (235 BC)Titus Manlius Torquatus, son of Titus , was Roman Republican consul 235 BC and 224 BC, censor 231 BC, and dictator 208 BC.-Family background:...
were consuls, it was closed a short time; then war broke out again at once, and it was opened.
The Res Gestae Divi Augusti
Res Gestae Divi Augusti
Res Gestae Divi Augusti, is the funerary inscription of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, giving a first-person record of his life and accomplishments. The Res Gestae is especially significant because it gives an insight into the image Augustus portrayed to the Roman people...
, a first person account of the life of Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
, claims:
Janus Quirinus, which our ancestors wished to be closed whenever peace had been secured by victories throughout the Roman empire by land and sea, was recorded to have been closed, before I was born, twice altogether since the foundation of the city, but the senate decreed that it should be closed on three occasions while I was princepsPrincepsPrinceps is a Latin word meaning "first in time or order; the first, chief, the most eminent, distinguished, or noble; the first man, first person."...
.