Janus - Konopište Chateau Park (Central Bohemia)
N 49° 46.750 E 014° 39.466
33U E 475361 N 5514134
Depicted beautiful Baroque statue of Roman god of two faces, Janus, You can find in park of "fairy-tale" Chateau Konopište...
Waymark Code: WMMP1F
Location: Středočeský kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 10/17/2014
Views: 40
Depicted beautiful Baroque statue of Roman god of two faces, Janus, You can find in park of "fairy-tale" Chateau Konopište.
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions, and thereby of gates, doors, doorways, passages and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces, since he looks to the future and to the past. The Romans named the month of January (Ianuarius) in his honor. Janus presided over the beginning and ending of conflict, and hence war and peace. The doors of his temple were open in time of war, and closed to mark the peace. As a god of transitions, he had functions pertaining to birth and to journeys and exchange, and in his association with Portunus, a similar harbor and gateway god, he was concerned with travelling, trading and shipping. Janus had no flamen or specialized priest (sacerdos) assigned to him, but the King of the Sacred Rites (rex sacrorum) himself carried out his ceremonies. Janus had a ubiquitous presence in religious ceremonies throughout the year, and was ritually invoked at the beginning of each one, regardless of the main deity honored on any particular occasion.
[excerpted from wiki]