Temple of Janus (Roman Forum) Temple of Janus (Roman Forum) In ancient Rome, the main Temple of Janus as it is often called, although it was not a normal temple, stood in the Roman Forum near the Argiletum. It had doors on both ends, and inside was a statue of Janus, the two-faced god of boundaries. The doors (the "Gates of Janus") were closed in times of peace and opened in times of war. According to Livy 1.19 the second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, decided to distract the early, warlike Romans from their violent ways by instilling in them awe and reverence. His projects
Sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology abode of gods and spirits. Scholars presume that publicly revered trees such as that at the temple in Uppsala were regarded as counterparts to the mythic world tree Yggdrasil. The present section divides particularly notable examples into texts discussing the religious activities of the ancient Germanic peoples involving trees and groves ("Germanic paganism") and their appearance in the myths of the Germanic peoples, particularly the North Germanic peoples ("Germanic mythology"). Sacred trees and groves are mentioned throughout the history of the ancient Germanic peoples, from their earliest attestations among Roman scribes to references made by medieval monks. In Norse mythology,