Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26412620-20150518195447

I'm linking the wikipedia article for those who wish to double check what I am saying: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janus

Basically, this is the gist of it.

He was the one god who Romans claimed was their and only theirs. He was the god of all beginnings and all endings. In any ritual or invocation whatsoever, he was always honoured first even before the main deity of that specific occasion. He had no Flamen but his rituals were carried out the Rex Sacrorum who was "the King of Sacrifices" and was the highest ranking priest, only in political power and influence falling behind the Pontifex Maximus.

Perhaps most importantly: when invoked with other gods, he was called pater(father) which the Romans felt was a title that befitted him the most of any god which leads some people believe that the Romans considered him the father of gods either because of his role as the god of beginnings and ends(him being at the origin of time)  or even suggest that he might have originally been a debased Uranic(Jupiter-equivalent) god. This might not be the case, but it at least proves that he was considered a very big deal.

I know that in the Books he is portrayed as a rather weak god, mainly as the minor god of choices, but the Romans themselves seemed to believe he was far more than that. I suggest we at least mention this in the Trivia or in a footnote somewhere or perhaps stop calling every god that is not an Olympian god a minor god, which makes it sound as if they are inherently inferior. Or like we did with Fortuna make it very clear that a "minor" god have had great importance in the Roman religion. 