house, or temple, where his rites were celebrated. 19 Ejus aras ante fores suas celebrant, ipsum introitûs et eritûs demonstrantes potentem. In memorial of his history every door among the Latines had the name of Janua: and the first month of the year was named Januarius, from Janus, as being an opening to a new æra, and in some degree a renewal of time. 20 Διο Ιανεαν ειπον τες την θύραν, και Ιαν2αριον μηνα τον θυραίον προσειπον. Ovid has continual allusions to this history. Janus is by him supposed to be the chaotic deity; and at the same time to preside over every thing that could be shut or opened; and to be the guardian of the doors of Heaven. " Me Chaos antiqui, nam res sum prisca, vocabant: Aspice, quam longi temporis acta canam. Quicquid ubique vides, cœlum, mare, nubila, terras, Omnia sunt nostrâ clausa, patentque manu. Me penes est unum vasti custodia mundi; Et jus vertendi cardinis omne meum est. Præsideo foribus cœli. What the poet means by Chaos will be hereafter 19 Macrob. Sat. 1. 1. p. 158. from Nigidius. plainly disclosed. Macrobius having, in his Saturnalia, afforded a general account of the mythology of Janus, introduces a curious list of those titles, under which the Romans used to invoke him. 22 In sacris quoque invocamus Janum geminum, Janum patrem, Janum Junonium, Janum Consivum, Janum Quirinum, Janum Patulcium, et Clusivium.-Janum Patrem, quasi Deo, rum Deum: Consivum a conserendo, id est, a propagine generis humani, quæ Jano auctore conseritur. The reasons which the author afterwards produces for these titles being originally. conferred, are not always satisfactory. The terms, however, contain matter of great consequence; and we may plainly perceive the true history to which they allude. According to Cornificius, the name of Janus was properly 23 Eanus; and, as he would insinuate, from eo, to go. But Eanus was undoubtedly the same as Ovas of the Greeks, and the Iönas of the eastern nations: by which was signified a Dove. Hence it was that Janus had the name of Junonius; for Iöna and Juno were the same. And hence it was, that the coins of Janus in Sicily had, upon the reverse, a Dove, 7 22 L. 1. p. 159. 23 Cornificius Etymorum libro tertio, Cicero, inquit, non Janum, sed Eanum nominat. Macrob. Sat. 1. 1. c. 9. p. 158. surrounded with a chaplet, which seems to be a chaplet of Olive. The Romans made a distinction between Janus and Saturn, and supposed them to have been names of different men; but they were two titles of the same person. Saturn is represented as a man of great piety and justice, under whom there was an age of felicity; when as yet there were no laws, no servitude, no separate property. 24 Rex Saturnus tantæ justitiæ fuisse traditur, ut neque servierit sub illo quisquam, neque quicquam privatæ rei haberet: sed omnia communia. He is by Lucian made to say of himself, des ' υδείς εμπ δελος ην.. The Latines in great measure confine his history to their own country; where, like Janus, he is représented as refining and modelling mankind, and giving them laws. At other times he is introduced as prior to law, which are seeming contrarieties, very easy to be reconciled. 25 Saturn is by Plato supposed to have been the son of Oceanus: by others he was looked upon as the offspring of Cœlus. The poets speak of him as an antient king, in whose time there was no labour, nor separate property, the earth pro ducing every thing spontaneously for the good of 24 Justin. 1. 43. c. 1. 25 Dialog. To gos Keavor. See Bochart. Phaleg. 1. 1. c. 1. and Voss. Idol. 1. 1. c. 18. p. 140. |