Cook, Arthur B.: Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 2,1): Zeus god of the dark sky (thunder and lightning): Text and notes (Cambridge, 1925)

Ianus bifrontal in ritual

375

wears a flat cap on his head. In one hand he flourishes a drum-
stick with knobbed ends. In the other he holds a second stick, with
which apparently he drums on an oval shield. The shield is adorned
with a Gorgon's head in front and a goat (?) behind. On the ground
at the dancer's feet is placed a mask with a tragic (?) face on either
side. The nearest parallel to the Palermo bronze is furnished by a

Fig. 281.

frieze of Greek marble found at Anagnia, on which we see (fig. 282)1
Salii advancing with knobbed staves and oval shields decorated
with Gorgon's head and tragic mask. It is, therefore, reasonable to
conclude that the bronze too portrays one of the Salii. If it be
objected that the chief distinguishing feature is here the double face,
I should reply that the Salii are known to have worshipped Ianus'-.
Indeed, they not improbably personated that deity ; for certain

1 O. Benndorf ' Rilievo di Anagni con rappresentanza dei Salii' in the Ann. d. Inst.
1869 xli. 70—74 pi. E (=my fig. 282), Reinach Rip. Reliefs iii. 3 no. 1, Harrison Themis
p. 194 ff. fig. 49.

2 The Salian hymn to Ianus is discussed supra p. 328 n. 8.