Publius Septimius Geta (father of Septimius Severus)

Publius Septimius Geta (fl. 2nd century, c. 110 – 171)[1] was the father of the emperor Lucius Septimius Severus, father-in-law of the Roman empress Julia Domna and the paternal grandfather of the Roman emperors Caracalla and Geta. Besides mentions in the Historia Augusta, Geta is known from several inscriptions, two of which were found in Leptis Magna, Africa (East of Tripoli in modern Libya).[2]

For other people named Publius Septimius Geta, see Publius Septimius Geta (disambiguation).

Early life

Geta was of Punic origin.[3] His family were local, wealthy and distinguished in Leptis Magna, a prominent city of the Carthaginian Empire, founded by Phoenicians. His father, Lucius Septimius Severus (c. 70 – aft. 110) was sufes and prefectus when Lepcis was made a colonia and its inhabitants were granted citizenship under Trajan; Lucius was the first duumvir of the new colonia (IRT 412). He is likely the wealthy equestrian that is highly commemorated by the Flavian dynasty poet Statius (Silvae 4.5, 4.praef.). Geta's paternal grandparents were Marcus Septimius Aper (born c. 35), and Octavia.[4] Geta also had a sister named Septimia Polla, who apparently never married; Geta honored her memory with a silver statue.[5]

While Geta seems to have held no political offices, either local or imperial, other members of his family were distinguished. He had two cousins, who served as Consuls under Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius: Gaius Septimius Severus, suffect consul in 160; and Publius Septimius Aper, suffect consul in July 153.[6] Another relative of his was Lucius Septimius Severus Aper, ordinary consul in 207.[5]

Life

Geta married Fulvia Pia (c. 125 – bef. 198), a woman of Roman descent belonging to the gens Fulvia, an Italian patrician family that originated in Tusculum.[7]

He died after his son Septimius had achieved the rank of quaestor, and was about to set off for Baetica to serve as proconsul, i.e. in 171. Septimius was forced to return to Africa to settle his father's affairs.[8]

References
  1. Platnauer, Maurice, The life and reign of the Roman emperor Lucius Septimius Severus
  2. Historia Augusta, "Severus", 1.2; 2.3. A.R. Birley, Septimius Severus: The African Emperor, revised edition (New Haven: Yale University, 1988), pp. 215, 218
  3. Barrett, Anthony A. (22 April 2009). Lives of the Caesars. John Wiley & Sons. p. 206. ISBN 978-1-4443-0296-7. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  4. Birley, Septimius Severus, pp. 218f
  5. Birley, Septimius Severus, p. 214
  6. Birley, Septimius Severus, pp. 214, 219
  7. Adam, Alexander, Classical biography,Google eBook, p.182: FULVIUS, the name of a "gens" which originally came from Tusculum (Cic. Planc. 8)
  8. Historia Augusta, 2.3; translated in Anthony Birley, Lives of the Later Caesars (Hammondsworth: Penguin, 1976), pp. 202f
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