By Janus is_____________

Analyze the question: The question is incomplete. It reads "By Janus is __", which looks like a line or phrase from a passage, possibly "By Janus" used as an oath or exclamation. The question is asking which literary device is used when a character swears "By Janus."

Explain the concept:

• Allusion: an indirect reference to a person, place, myth, event, or work of literature that the reader is expected to recognize.
• Flashback: a scene that returns to an earlier time.
• Foregrounding: making a word or feature stand out through deviation or repetition.
• Euphemism: a mild or polite expression used in place of a harsh or unpleasant one.

Solve:

1. Janus is a figure from Roman mythology, the two-faced god of doors, gates, beginnings, and transitions. He looks both to the past and to the future.
2. Invoking "Janus" refers to an outside mythological figure without explaining him. That is what an allusion does.
3. The phrase does not move to an earlier time, so it is not a flashback.
4. It does not soften an unpleasant idea, so it is not a euphemism.
5. Nothing in it points to foregrounding through deviation or repetition.

So "By Janus" is an allusion, specifically a classical or mythological one.

Tip: When a name from mythology, the Bible, history, or another literary work appears without explanation (Janus, Hercules, Judas, Achilles), think allusion. A quick check: "Is the writer pointing to something outside the text?" If yes, it is an allusion.