Janus: God of the New Year
Ancient History Fangirl
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The Cult of Mitherus - A History of the Roman Empire
When the ancient romans got rid of kings and made themselves a republic, they kept this sort of figurehead roll to embody the kingly religious leadership without having any actual practical powers. This is just one theory, but it's fascinating to think that there a connection between this conceivably ancient priestly role, one that might go all the way back to the beginning of the republic itself. And janus was an ancient god, definitely older than rome itself.
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