Janus Quadrifrons
A statue of Janus in the Vatican Museums.
The end of the Forum of Domitian opposite the Temple of Minerva was the setting for the shrine of Janus Quadrifrons, a four-faced form of the god of crossroads. Martial1 and Statius2 both mention it, and it appears on a fragment of the Marble Plan3. The shrine was probably placed there to represent the passage through space and time of the Forum. Macrobius4 and Servius5 bothsay that it was brought to Rome from Falerii in 241 BCE.
However, the exact nature of the shrine is unknown, as no archaeological evidence of it remains. It is possible that the shrine was a four-sided arch, but L. Richardson Jr. argues that it was more likely a four-sided verison of the ianus enclosure shown on coins of Nero6, as Martial refers to the limina and Servius speaks of quattor portarum unum templum5.7
Although Domitian’s primary patron was Minerva, repeated links between him and Janus also indicate that the choice of god was thematic. Statius envisioned Janus hailing Domitian with the protection of Minerva, who has woven him a toga praetexta8. For the literary sources, see Mart. Epig. 8.2.1, 8.8.1-6, Stat. Silv. 4.3.9-10, 4.1.13-5
1. Mart. Epig. 10.28.3-6
2. Stat. Silv. 4.1, 4.3.9
3. FUR pl. 20 fr. 16
4. Macrobius, Sat. 1.9.13
5. Servius ad Aen. 7.607
6. Nash 1.503 fig. 619
7. Richardson, L., Jr. "Forum Nervae." In A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome, 167-69. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins, 1992.
8. Stat. Silv. 4.1.22