View source for Geta (emperor)

{{short description|Roman emperor from 209 to 211}}
{{other people||Publius Septimius Geta (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox royalty
| image        = Publius Septimius Geta Louvre Ma1076.jpg
| image_size   = 250
| alt          = Bust of Geta
| caption      = Bust in the [[Louvre]]
| succession   = [[Roman emperor]]
| reign        = late 209 – December 211<br/>(senior from 2 February 211)
| predecessor  = [[Septimius Severus]]
| successor    = [[Caracalla]]
| regent       = Septimius Severus (until 211)<br/>Caracalla
| reg-type     = {{nowrap|Co-emperors}}
| birth_date   = 7 March 189
| birth_place  = Rome
| death_date   = 26 December 211 (aged 22)
| death_place  = 
| burial_place = 
| full name    = Publius Septimius Geta
| regnal name  = Imperator Caesar Publius Septimius Geta Augustus
| dynasty      = [[Severan dynasty|Severan]]
| father       = [[Septimius Severus]]
| mother       = [[Julia Domna]]
}}
'''Publius Septimius Geta''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɡ|ɛ|t|ə}} {{respell|GHET|ə}}; 7 March 189 – 26 December 211) was [[Roman emperor]] with his father [[Septimius Severus]] and older brother [[Caracalla]] from 209 to 211. Severus died in February 211 and intended for his sons to rule together, but they proved incapable of sharing power, culminating with the murder of Geta in December of that year.

==Early life==
{{Severan dynasty
|image= [[Image:Portrait of family of Septimius Severus - Altes Museum - Berlin - Germany 2017.jpg|200px]]
|caption=The [[Severan Tondo]], depicting Geta (face erased), his brother Caracalla, and their parents
}}
Geta was the younger son of [[Septimius Severus]] by his second wife [[Julia Domna]]. He was born on 7 March 189<ref name="vagi">{{Cite book |last=Vagi |first=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dIEYDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA285 |title=Coinage and History of the Roman Empire |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2016 |isbn=9781135971250 |pages=284, 286 |quote=The notoriously unreliable ''[[Historia Augusta]]'' suggests Geta was born in May [27th] of 189. However, other more reliable sources are available for determining Geta's date of birth.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Kitzler|first=Petr|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uBisCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA14|title=From 'Passio Perpetuae' to 'Acta Perpetuae'|publisher=[[de Gruyter]]|year=2015|isbn=9783110418675|pages=14}}</ref> in either [[Rome]] or [[Mediolanum]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Publius Septimius Geta {{!}} Roman emperor |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Publius-Septimius-Geta |access-date=2021-10-04 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language= |quote=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Heffernan|first=Thomas J.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9XA0xaGW1t8C&pg=PA69|title=The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity|date=2012-06-18|publisher=Oxford University Press, USA|isbn=978-0-19-977757-0|pages=69|language=en|quote=Publius Septimius Geta was the younger son of Septimius Severus. He was likely born in Rome—Milan has also been proposed—in March of 189.}}</ref> at a time when his father was only a provincial governor at the service of Emperor [[Commodus]]. For a while Geta seems to have variyingly been given either the praenomen Publius or Lucius, but after 205 it remained Publius. The use of Lucius may have been to diferentiate him from his uncle [[Publius Septimius Geta (brother of Septimius Severus)|Publius Septimius Geta]], which became unneeded when his uncle died in 204.<ref>{{cite book |last=Birley |first=Anthony R. |author-link=Anthony Birley |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z8iEAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA1998 |title=Septimius Severus: The African Emperor |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=1999 |isbn=0415165911 |location=London |page=160-161 |orig-year=1971}}</ref> On 28 January 198, Geta was raised to ''[[Caesar (title)|caesar]]'' (heir).<ref name="vagi"/> Septimius Severus gave him the title of ''[[Augustus (title)|augustus]]'' (emperor) in late 209,<ref>{{cite book |last=Birley |first=Anthony R. |author-link=Anthony Birley |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z8iEAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA1998 |title=Septimius Severus: The African Emperor |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=1999 |isbn=0415165911 |location=London |page=274 |quote=Roxan no. 191 shows that Geta was already Augustus and ''[[tribunicia potestas|trib. pot. II]]'' on 7 January 210 |orig-year=1971}}. The ''tribunicia potestas'' was renewed every 10 December.</ref> perhaps in September or October.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kienast |first=Dietmar |url=https://archive.org/details/romische-kaisertabelle |title=Römische Kaisertabelle |date=2017 |publisher=[[Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft|WBG]] |isbn=978-3-5342-6724-8 |edition=6th |location=Darmstadt |page=161 |language=de |orig-date=1990}}</ref>

During [[Roman invasion of Caledonia 208–210|the campaign against the Britons]] in the early 3rd century AD, imperial propaganda promoted the image of a happy family that shared the responsibilities of rule. Geta's brother [[Caracalla]] acted as Severus' second-in-command, and administrative and bureaucratic duties were Geta's responsibility.  In reality, however, the rivalry and antipathy between the brothers did not abate. With the death of Severus in 211, control of the empire passed to Geta and Caracalla jointly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.roman-emperors.org/geta.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311020415/https://www.roman-emperors.org/geta.htm |archive-date=2022-03-11 |title=Roman Emperors - DIR Geta}}</ref>

==Joint emperor==
When Septimius Severus died in [[Eboracum]] on 4 February 211, Caracalla and Geta were proclaimed joint emperors and returned to Rome. Their mother, [[Julia Domna]], who had served as a crucial advisor and confidante to her husband, was able to maintain her political influence over two co-emperors. It is said that on the journey from Britain to Rome the two brothers kept away from each other, not once lodging in the same house or sharing a common meal.<ref>Edward Gibbon, ''The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire'', (The Modern Library, 1932), chap. VI., p. 114</ref>

[[File:Geta Dying in his Mother's Arms by Jacques Pajou - Staatsgalerie - Stuttgart - Germany 2017.jpg|thumb|left|''Geta Dying in his Mother's Arms'', [[Jacques-Augustin-Catherine Pajou]], 1766–1828 ([[Staatsgalerie Stuttgart]])]]
Their joint rule was a failure. The Imperial Palace was divided into two separate sections, and neither allowed the servants of the other into his own. They only met in the presence of their mother, and with a strong military guard, being in constant fear of assassination.<ref>Gibbon, Ibid.</ref> The current stability of their joint government was only through the mediation and leadership of their mother, Julia Domna, accompanied by other senior courtiers and generals in the military. The historian [[Herodian]] asserted that the brothers decided to split the empire in two halves, but with the strong opposition of their mother, the idea was rejected, when, by the end of 211, the situation had become unbearable.<ref>Herodian, ''History of the Empire from the death of Marcus'', IV., p. 144</ref> Caracalla tried unsuccessfully to murder Geta during the festival of [[Saturnalia]] (17 December). Finally, the next week, Caracalla had his mother arrange a peace meeting with his brother in his mother's apartments, thus depriving Geta of his bodyguards, and then had him murdered in her arms by [[centurion]]s.<ref>Gibbon, Ibid. p. 115</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Varner |first=Eric R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5IpPhTqnDJkC&pg=PA156 |title=Mutilation and transformation: damnatio memoriae and Roman imperial portraiture |date=2004 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-13577-2 |pages=156 |language= |quote=There is conflicting evidence concerning the exact date of Geta's murder. [[T. D. Barnes]], has demonstrated that 26 December is almost certainly correct, ([''The Sources of the Historia Augusta''] 1978) 51-2.}}</ref><ref>According to Dio, "he was only twenty-two years and nine months old". Several other dates have been proposed: ''Zwei syrische Verwandte des severischen Kaiserhauses''. In: ''Chiron'' 12, 1982, S. 217–235: 229f y 49 ('''19 December'''); Michael L. Meckler: ''Caracalla and his late-antique biographer'', Ann Arbor 1994, S. 15, 109–112 ('''25 December'''); Anthony R. Birley: ''The African Emperor. Septimius Severus'', Routledge, 1991, 189 ('''26 December'''); A. Mastino, ''Le titolature di Caracalla e Geta'', 1981 ('''2 February 212''', accepting the ''HA'').</ref>
[[File:1366 - Inscription for Geta (198-209 AD) - Museo Archeologico, Cagliari - Photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto, November 11 2016.jpg|thumb|left|Deleted mention of Geta in an inscription after his ''damnatio memoriae'' ([[Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari]])]]
Caracalla ordered the ''[[damnatio memoriae]]'', which was thoroughly carried out, as is clear from the archaeological record.<ref name=":15">{{Cite book|title=Ancient Rome|last=Dunstan|first=William, E.|publisher=Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield|year=2011|isbn=978-0-7425-6832-7|pages=405–406}}</ref><ref name=":16">{{Cite book|title=How Rome Fell: death of a superpower|last=Goldsworthy|first=Adrian|publisher=New Haven: Yale University Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0-300-16426-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/howromefelldeath0000gold/page/70 70–71]|url=https://archive.org/details/howromefelldeath0000gold/page/70}}</ref> Reportedly, Caracalla was thereafter tormented by guilt over his deed, but sought to expiate it by adding to this crime the [[proscription]] of all his brother's former followers.<ref>Gibbon, Ibid.</ref> [[Cassius Dio]] stated that around 20,000 men and women were killed or proscribed on this charge during this time.<ref>[[Cassius Dio]], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/78*.html#4 ''Roman History'' 78.4.]</ref>

==Portrait==
Very few marble portraits attributable to Geta survive to date, presumably due to the very thorough ''[[damnatio memoriae]]'' which resulted in the erasing of his images.  However, Roman coins with his image are plentiful, and can reflect how his father [[Septimius Severus]] and mother [[Julia Domna]] and later Geta himself wanted him to be seen by the Roman people (and especially the Roman military).

Images of Geta and his older brother Caracalla cannot be well distinguished until the death of the father.  Both sons were supposed to be presented as equally suitable heirs to the throne, showing thus more "depth" to the dynasty.

On his coins, Caracalla, who became ''Augustus'' in 198, was shown with a wreath of laurels, while Geta remained bareheaded until he himself became ''Augustus'' in 209.<ref name=Panger>{{in lang|de}} Andreas Pangerl: Porträttypen des Caracalla und des Geta auf Römischen Reichsprägungen - Definition eines neuen Caesartyps des Caracalla und eines neuen Augustustyps des Geta; Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt des RGZM Mainz 43, 2013, 1, 99–116</ref> Between 209 and their father's death in February 211, both brothers were shown as equally mature young men with a short full beard, ready to take over the empire.  Between the death of Septimus Severus and the assassination of Geta, Caracalla's portraits did not change, while Geta was depicted with a long beard with hanging hairs, much like his father, a strong indication of Geta's efforts to be seen as the "true" successor of his father.<ref name=Panger/>

The ''[[Severan Tondo]]'' panel painting depicts Septimius Severus and his family with an obliterated face assumed to be Geta.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

{{clear}}

==Gallery==
<gallery heights="200">
File:INC-1853-a Ауреус Гета ок. 200-202 гг. (аверс).png|An [[aureus]] of Geta as ''caesar''.
File:Rare aureus of Geta (obverse).jpg|Rare aureus of Geta as ''augustus''.
File:Geta Glyptothek Munich 352.jpg|Head of young Geta at [[Glyptothek]], [[Munich]]
File:Geta Apollo.jpg|Geta in the form of Apollo at Rome, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme
File:Uc2.ark 13960 t8rb76g72-seq 449 (cropped Geta).jpg|Bust of a young Caesar, probably Geta, wielding Fortune's [[Gubernaculum (classical)|rudder]], instead of a spear. After engraved sard.<ref>{{Cite book |last=King |first=Charles William |url=https://archive.org/details/handbookofengrav00king/page/236/mode/2up |title=Handbook of Engraved Gems |publisher=George Bell and Sons |year=1885 |edition=2nd |location=London |pages=237}}</ref>
</gallery>

==Severan dynasty family tree==
{{Severan dynasty family tree}}

==See also==
* [[Septimia gens]]
* [[Severan dynasty family tree]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commonscat|Publius Septimius Geta}}
*[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Geta*.html Life of Geta] (''Historia Augusta'' at LacusCurtius: Latin text and English translation)

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou | [[Severan dynasty]] | 7 March | 189 | December | 211 }}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Septimius Severus]] }}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[List of Roman Emperors|Roman Emperor]]
        | with   = [[Septimius Severus]] and [[Caracalla]]
        | years  = 209–211 }}
{{s-aft | after  = [[Caracalla]] }}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Lucius Fabius Cilo]], <br/> [[Marcus Annius Flavius Libo]] }}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[Roman consul]]
        | years = 205
        | regent1 = [[Caracalla]] }}
{{s-aft | after  = [[Marcus Nummius Umbrius Primus Senecio Albinus|M. Nummius Umbrius Primus Senecio Albinus]], <br/> [[Lucius Fulvius Gavius Numisius Petronius Aemilianus|L. Fulvius Gavius Numisius Petronius Aemilianus]] }}
{{s-bef | before = [[Lucius Annius Maximus]], <br/> [[Gaius Septimius Severus Aper]] }}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[Roman consul]]
        | years = 208
        | regent1 = [[Caracalla]] }}
{{s-aft | after  = [[Lucius Aurelius Commodus Pompeianus|L. Aurelius Commodus Pompeianus]], <br/> [[Quintus Hedius Lollianus Plautius Avitus|Q. Hedius Lollianus Plautius Avitus]] }}
{{s-reg | leg }}
{{s-break}}
{{s-vac | reason = | last = [[Lucius of Britain|Lucius]] }}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[List of legendary kings of Britain|King of Britain]] }}
{{s-aft | after  = [[Caracalla|Bassianus]] }}
{{s-end}}

{{Roman emperors}}
{{Pharaohs}}
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[[Category:189 births]]
[[Category:211 deaths]]
[[Category:2nd-century Punic people]]
[[Category:3rd-century Punic people]]
[[Category:3rd-century Roman emperors]]
[[Category:3rd-century murdered monarchs]]
[[Category:British traditional history]]
[[Category:Burials at the Castel Sant'Angelo]]
[[Category:Deified Roman emperors]]
[[Category:Emesene dynasty]]
[[Category:Imperial Roman consuls]]
[[Category:Murdered Roman emperors]]
[[Category:People from Homs]]
[[Category:Roman emperors to suffer posthumous denigration or damnatio memoriae]]
[[Category:Septimii]]
[[Category:Severan dynasty]]
[[Category:Sons of Roman emperors]]
[[Category:Roman pharaohs]]
[[Category:Family of Septimius Severus]]
[[Category:Damnatio memoriae]]