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The Greeks very much influenced the Roman religion. However, many features of the Ancient Italian religions were retained by the Romans. One of the most distinctive Roman deities was Janus, the god of entrances, gates, and transitions. He was the animistic soul or spirit of doorways and entrances and all their associations. There is no counterpart of this enigmatic deity in Greek religion and mythology. Janus played an important role in Rome's public religion, and an understanding of him can help us know the Roman worldview and its values.

Janus was an ancient god and probably originated in Italy, but he may have been based on a very ancient Indo-European deity. It has been argued that he was of foreign origin and that the early Romans adopted his cult. More likely, the deity may have been related to an Etruscan prototype. We know that the Etruscans greatly influenced the early inhabitants of the city on the Tiber.