Janus, the god of ancient Rome, had two faces – literally, not in a figurative or metaphorical sense. Sculptures of Janus, and impressions of the deity on Roman coins, invariably show him in profile, with two faces – one looking to the left, the other to the right – mounted on a single neck and sharing the same head. The two faces in profile, looking in opposite directions, were sometimes identical, in other representations not identical but quite similar, but in yet other representations depicted as very different – for example one young, the other elderly; one bearded, the other clean-shaven; one with a benevolent expression, the other with a stern stare. In all these variants, in the ancient Roman version of dharma, Janus symbolized a composite concept of duality – of past and future, beginnings and endings, entrances and exits, war and peace. The Romans worshipped Janus more than any other deity in their homes, palaces, and in temples dedicated to the god. January, the first month of the Roman calendar, is usually said to be named after Janus; looking back and forward at the same time, he was a symbol of change and transitions.