Publius Septimius Geta (father of Septimius Severus)

Publius Septimius Geta (flourished 2nd century) was the father of Lucius Septimius Severus, father-in-law of the Roman empress Julia Domna and the paternal grandfather of Roman emperors Caracalla and Publius Septimius Geta. His name was found as an inscription in Cirta, Africa.

Geta was of Libyco-Punic origin. His ancestry had been based in Leptis Magna (southeast of Carthage, modern Libya, North Africa). His family were local, wealthy and distinguished in Leptis Magna.

Geta’s paternal grandfather Publius Septimius Macer, for a time lived in Rome and became a part of the equestrian rank. Geta's father Lucius Septimius Severus, was the wealthy equestrian that is highly commemorated by the Flavian dynasty poet Statius.

Geta had two cousins, who served as consuls under Roman emperor Antoninus Pius. One was his paternal cousin, Gaius Septimius Severus. Geta's father had a brother, who the father of his paternal cousin. He was consul in 160 and was a governor of Numidia in 173-174 and then in 177. The other cousin was called Aper, who served as consul at an unknown year in the reign of Antoninus Pius.

Not much is known on Geta and his family. He seems to have held no major political status. Geta married Fulvia Pia, a daughter of Fulvius Pius and one of his wives either Plautia Octavilla [ [http://users.ox.ac.uk/~prosop/publications/volume-two.pdf Addenda et Corrigenda ] ] or Laelia Major, daughter of Quintus Laelius and wife Matidia Sabina. [http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=ancient2222&id=I2446] She was an African woman, who was of Roman descent. Her family moved from Italy to North Africa and was of the Fulvius gens, an ancient and politically influential clan, who originally was of plebs status. She was the paternal aunt of the Praetorian Guard and consul Gaius Fulvius Plautianus.

Geta and Pia had three children, a son Lucius Septimius Severus 11 April 146-4 February 211, another son a younger Publius Septimius Geta and a daughter Septimia Pia. Not much is known on Septimia Pia, apart from that she spoke Latin that bad, that embarrassed Severus enough to send her back to Leptis Magna.

Notes

ources:

*http://www.roman-emperors.org/sepsev.htm
*http://www.roman-empire.net/decline/sept-severus.html
*http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Septimius_Severus*.html
*http://www.ga.k12.pa.us/academics/MS/8th/romanhis/Forum/mattb/severus/index.htm