The Roman Republic owed much to the cultural influence of its Greek neighbors. For centuries the Greeks occupied a prominent position to the south on the island of Sicily. A series of wars in the 2nd and 3rd centuries BCE brought to the city a tremendous Hellenic presence: art, literature, philosophy, and most significantly, religion. Although a rich religious tradition had existed long before the arrival of the Greeks, the pantheon of Greek gods quickly merged with those already present. However, there was one god with no Greek counterpart — one who symbolized both beginning and end. His name was evoked even before that of Jupiter. His name was Janus.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/Janus/.