Geta (emperor)
Roman emperor from 209 to 211
Publius Septimius Geta ( 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 proving incapable of sharing power, Geta was murdered in December of that year.
Early life
Geta was the younger son of Septimius Severus by his second wife Julia Domna. He was born on 7 March 189 in either Rome or Mediolanum, at a time when his father was only a provincial governor at the service of Emperor Commodus. For a while Geta seems to have varyingly been given either the praenomen Publius or Lucius, but after 205 it remained Publius. The use of Lucius may have been to differentiate him from his uncle Publius Septimius Geta, which became unneeded when his uncle died in 204. On 28 January 198, Geta was raised to caesar (heir). Septimius Severus gave him the title of augustus (emperor) in late 209, perhaps in September or October.
During 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.
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