The last two months of the twelve were January and February. They stand alone among the later months in bearing names instead of mere numbers, and this is sufficient to suggest their religious importance. That they were not mere appendages to a year of ten months is almost certain from the antique character of the rites and festivals which occur in them—Agonia, Carmentalia, Lupercalia, &c.; and it is safer to consider them as marking an ancient period of religious importance preparatory to the beginning of the year, and itself coinciding with the opening of the natural year after the winter solstice. This latter point seems to be indicated in the name Januarius, which, whether derived from janua, ‘a gate,’ or Janus, ‘the god of entrances,’ is appropriate to the first lengthening of the days, or the entrance of the sun on a new course; while February, the month of purifying or regenerative agencies (februa), was, like the Lent of the Christian calendar, the period in which the living were made ready for the civil and religious work of the coming year, and in which also the yearly duties to the dead were paid. It is as well here to refer to a passage of Ovid (_Fasti_, ii. 47 foll.), itself probably based on a statement of Varro, which has led to a controversy about the relative position of these two months: Sed tamen antiqui ne nescius ordinis erres, Primus, ut est, Iani mensis et ante fuit. Qui sequitur Ianum, veteris fuit ultimus anni, Tu quoque sacrorum, Termine, finis eras. Primus enim Iani mensis, quia ianua prima est; Qui sacer est imis manibus, imus erat. Postmodo creduntur spatio distantia longo Tempora bis quini continuasse viri.