209-211AD Geta Silver Denarius – aEF

Birth and Family

Born in 189 AD in Rome, Publius Septimius Geta was the younger son of Emperor Septimius Severus and Julia Domna. His childhood was anything but ordinary. As the son of an ambitious general who would soon seize the imperial throne, Geta grew up in a world of power struggles, military campaigns, and political manoeuvring. Unfortunately, he also grew up in the shadow of his older brother, Caracalla, whose ruthless nature would eventually seal Geta’s fate.

An Empire Split in Two

By 209 AD, their father, determined to secure the dynasty, made both Geta and Caracalla joint emperors. However, expecting these two to share power was like handing a pair of lions the same meal and hoping for politeness. The brothers loathed each other. They argued constantly, disagreed on policies, and even surrounded themselves with separate groups of supporters.

When Severus died in 211 AD, his grand vision of two rulers maintaining harmony collapsed. Caracalla and Geta divided the imperial palace, each occupying separate wings while filling the corridors with armed guards. Their hatred was so extreme that they considered splitting the empire itself—one ruling the east, the other ruling the west. However, their mother, Julia Domna, fiercely opposed the idea, knowing it would weaken Rome.

A Murder in the Palace

Caracalla, unwilling to tolerate his brother any longer, devised a brutal solution. Under the pretext of a peace meeting, he invited Geta to his mother’s private chambers. Trusting the presence of Julia Domna, Geta arrived—only to be ambushed by Caracalla’s men. Before he could react, they stabbed him to death in his mother’s arms, leaving her helpless as she watched her younger son collapse.

A Name Erased

Caracalla, now sole emperor, wasted no time eliminating all trace of his brother. He ordered a ‘damnatio memoriae‘, ensuring Geta’s name was erased from inscriptions, statues, and official records. Anyone who had supported Geta was either exiled or executed.

Though his reign was brief, Geta’s tragic end remains one of the most infamous examples of family betrayal and the deadly nature of Roman politics. While history tried to forget him, his murder ensured that his story would never truly vanish.