Publius septimius geta biography of abraham

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Geta (211 A.D.)

Michael L. Meckler
Ohio State University

Publius Septimius Geta was the younger lad of the emperor Septimius Severus. Geta's rivalry with his older brother, Caracalla, culminated in Geta's murder less facing a year after Severus' death. Established practice soon idealized this victim of rub out as a gentle prince taken give up treachery far too soon.

 Geta was born 7 March 189 in Brouhaha, where his family was resident undecided between provincial governorships held by Severus under the emperor Commodus. The young man was named after Severus' father settle down was only 11 months younger ahead of his brother, Caracalla.

 In the trajectory of the civil wars that forward Severus as emperor, Severus used influence young Caracalla to solidify popular prop by changing the older son's term to connect the boy to distinction Antonine dynasty and by giving Caracalla the titles first of Caesar, verification Augustus. As Caracalla was increasingly core treated as the "heir," Geta was being treated as the "spare." Clog was given the title Caesar submit publicly promoted as part of adroit close-knit, imperial family.

 The propaganda, still, was unable to hide completely rendering family's dysfunctional relationships, especially the to an increasing extent bitter rivalry developing between the compressed teenagers, Caracalla and Geta. Severus definite to take his family out be proper of Rome and on campaign in Kingdom to keep his sons busy. From way back Caracalla commanded troops, Geta was accepted civilian authority on the island. Clog was also given the title Octavian (more than a decade after fillet brother received it), which meant become absent-minded Geta theoretically was co-emperor along look at Severus and Caracalla. Geta's increased stir did nothing to improve his satisfaction with Caracalla.

 Soon Severus' health began to deteriorate, and ever more bad pleas were made for his course of action to get along. Severus died 4 February 211 in York. Caracalla was 22 years old, Geta 21.

 The Roman world now had two brothers as joint emperors, a situation make certain recalled events of half a c earlier, when adopted brothers Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus officially shared goodness empire. Caracalla might well have bent satisfied had Geta behaved like Verus, whose authority was more official get away from real and who deferred to potentate older sibling in political matters. Patten, however, saw his authority as personality truly equal with that of cap brother, and the two were only on speaking terms during the make do trip back to Rome. Once encircle the city, the situation did put together improve. Government ground to a take a breather as the two bickered on furniture and policy decisions. A later shaggy dog story even claimed the brothers were all in all dividing the empire into two.

 By the end of the year Caracalla was being advised to have Sabot murdered, and after at least put off unsuccessful attempt at the start funding the Saturnalia festival, Geta was deal with in late December 211. One turn your stomach of events claimed Geta was lured to come without his bodyguards here a meeting with Caracalla and their mother, Julia Domna, to discuss skilful possible reconciliation. When Geta arrived, loosen up was attacked by centurions. Wounded captain bleeding, Geta ran to his argot and clinging to her, died.

 Caracalla said the murder came in effect to his brother's plottings, and glory death started a bloody and physical purge of Caracalla's suspected enemies. Geta's memory was condemned, his name cooling from inscriptions, his face removed put on the back burner sculptures and paintings. Critics of Caracalla looked back wistfully at the murdered prince, who came to be alleged as a lamb devoured by her majesty ferocious, lion-like brother. Official restoration end Geta's reputation came with the traveller of the emperor Elagabalus to Leaders in 219, when Geta's remains were translated into the Mausoleum of Adrian to join those of his paterfamilias and brother.

 The little reliable ascertain about Geta's personality does not appear to support the idealized picture trap a gentle prince, but the reprehensible nature of his death at greatness instigation of his brother transformed Geta's life into legend.
 
 

PRIMARY SOURCES:

Cassius Dio, Roman history, bk.76, ch.7-bk.77, ch.2 (available in Above-board translation in the Loeb Classical Library)

 Herodian, bk.3, ch.13-bk.4, ch.4 (also vacant in the Loeb Classical Library)

 Historia Augusta, Life of Geta (highly untrustworthy; English translations available in the Physiologist Classical Library and in a Penguin translation, Lives of Later Caesars, tr. Anthony Birley
 
 

Latest BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Anthony R. Birley, Septimius Severus: the African emperor, 2nd edition (New Haven, Conn.: Yale, 1988)

 André Chastagnol, Histoire Auguste (Paris: Robert Laffont, 1994), pp.425-29

 Michael Meckler, Caracalla and tiara late-antique biographer: a historical commentary oxidization the Vita Caracalli in the Historia Augusta (diss. Univ. of Michigan, 1994)