Janus

"I'm your best friend, I'm your worst enemy, I'm Janus, God of Doorways. Beginnings. Endings. Choices."

- Janus

Janus (lanvs in Latin) is the Roman god of choices, doorways, beginnings and endings. He is a minor god. It is implied he had joined Kronos, but he later obeys Hera.

History
Janus appeared in mythologies since the starting of Roman civilization. When Romulus, the founder of Rome, kidnapped the Sabine women, Janus caused a volcanic hot spring to erupt, resulting in the forces of Tatius, a Sabine king of Cures, being buried alive in the deathly hot water and ash mixture of the rushing hot volcanic spring that ended lives and burned and/or disfigured many soldiers of Tatius. Later on However, the Sabines and Romans agreed to create a civilization together. In honor of this, the doors of a roofless structure called "The Janus" (not to be confused with a temple ), were kept open during war after a symbolic contingent of soldiers had marched through it. The doors were closed in ceremony when peace was concluded.

Other myths suggest how once Janus helped Saturn, who was expelled from the heaven by Jupiter, he with very hospitality took care of him for quiet some time, in gratitude, Saturn gave him the power to see past as well as future. Some others tell how he changed a nymph Carna into Cardea, Roman Goddess of Hinges.

One tradition states that he came from Thessaly and that he was welcomed by Camese in Latium, where they shared a kingdom. They married and had several children, among which the river god Tiberinus(after whom the river Tiber was named). Janus, as the first king of Latium, brought the people a time of peace and welfare; The Golden Age. He introduced Money, cultivation of fields and law. After his death he was defied and became the protecter of Rome.

He also had a temple on the Forum Olitorium, and in the first century another temple was built on the Forum of Nerva.

Janus was well-respected and highly-regarded as a god by the Romans and his dual-faced image could be found on most city gates and many Roman coins. Given his roles as the Guardian of Gates, his role as the God of Beginnings and the esteem of having the first month of the year in his honor, it is apparent that Janus played a significant role in Roman myth and Religion.

The Battle of the Labyrinth
"Because French doors are nice,"the left face mused.

"Lots of natural light." Janus, to Hera in The Battle of the Labyrinth
Janus appears to Annabeth and causes her great indecision about the choices she has to make. (Later, she tells Percy that the decision had to do with whether or not to trust Luke) He was also there, thousands of years ago, when the inventor and son of Athena, Daedalus, decided to kill his nephew, Perdix, rather than save him. At the end of the book, Mr. D stated that he had gone over to the Titans' side. He is never heard of again in the books. He makes Annabeth choose one of two doors. When she is having trouble with her decision, Hera interrupts and Annabeth's choice is postponed.

The Lost Hero
In the Hypnos' Cabin, Clovis tells Annabeth and Jason that Janus is not Greek, but is Roman.

Appearance
Janus has two faces on one head, one face looks eastward the other one westward, and looks like a doorman to Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson. It is impossible to look at both faces at once, reflecting on him being the god of choices. He almost forces Annabeth to make a deadly decision, but Hera steps in at the last moment and saves her from this dilemma. His left head is generally a pessimist, and the right head is an optimist. Because of this, they often disagree a lot.

Trivia

 * In mythology, Janus is usually depicted as a Roman God of choices, not Greek.
 * Janus has a two-faced head that often bickers (One side is a pessimist and the other is an optimist).
 * A moon of Saturn is named after Janus.
 * The month January is named after him, as Janus is the god of beginnings and as January acts as a door to the New Year.
 * In Roman times his name would be spelt Ianvs, because the Romans did not have the letters J or U.