janua

jānŭa, ae, f. [Janus, i. e. ianus, from i, ire; cf. Sanscr. yāna, itio, incessus, from yā, ire], a door, house-door.

I.

Lit.: principem in sacrificando Janum esse voluerunt, quod ab eundo nomen est ductum: ex quo transitiones perviae, jani;

foresque in liminibus profanarum aedium januae nominantur,

Cic. N. D. 2, 27, 67:

claudere,

id. Verr. 2, 1, 26, § 66:

januam occludere,

Plaut. Aul. 1, 2, 11:

pultare,

id. Poen. 3, 4, 30:

ante ostium et januam,

id. Pers. 5, 1, 6:

indiligenter observare,

id. As. 2, 2, 7:

reserare,

Ov. H. 4, 141:

frangere,

Hor. S. 1, 2, 128.—The dog was commonly chained there;

hence, janua mordax,

Plaut. Truc. 2, 4, 1; cf. id. Most. 3, 2, 126 sq.—

B.

Transf., an entrance of any sort:

inferni janua regis,

Verg. A. 6, 106; cf.:

atri janua Ditis,

id. ib. 6, 127:

mortis,

Sil. 11, 187:

leti,

Val. Fl. 4, 23:

cum eam urbem sibi Mithridates Asiae januam fore putasset,

the key of Asia, Cic. Mur. 15, 33:

hic locus est gemini janua vasta maris,

Ov. Tr. 1, 10, 32.—

II.

Trop., an entrance, approach:

qua nolui janua sum ingressus in causam,

Cic. Planc. 3, 8:

facillime vos ad ea, quae cupitis, perventuros, ab hoc aditu januaque patefacta,

id. de Or. 1, 47, 204:

illa januam Famae patefecit,

Plin. Ep. 1, 18, 4; Val. Fl. 4, 231:

vultus ac frons, quae est animi janua,

Q. Cic. Pet. Cons. 11, 44:

ego sum ostium,

Vulg. Johan. 10, 2.