Geta - Roman Caesar: 198-209 - Emperor: 209-211 A.D. -
Bronze 19mm (4.2 grams) of Pautalia in Thrace 198-209 A.D.
Λ CЄΠ ΓЄTAC K, youthful, draped bust right.
OVΛΠIAC ΠAVTAΛIAC, Athena standing left, holding shield and spear.
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Kyustendil (Bulgarian:
Кюстендил, historically
Велбъжд, Velbazhd) is a town in the
far west of
Bulgaria, the capital of
Kyustendil Province, with a population of 58,059 (2005 census). Kyustendil
is situated in the southern part of the Kyustendil Valley, 90 km southwest of
Sofia. It was
named after the medieval lord of the surrounding region,
Constantine Dragaš.
A Thracian
settlement was founded at the place of the modern town in the
5th-4th
century BC and the
Romans
developed it into an important stronghold, balneological resort and trade
junction called Pautalia in the 1st century AD.
The Hisarlaka fortress was built in the 4th century and the town was
mentioned under the
Slavic name of Velbazhd (Велбъжд, meaning "camel")[1]
in a 1019 charter by the
Byzantine Emperor
Basil II.
It became a major religious and administrative centre.
Publius Septimius Geta (March
7, 189–December
26, 211),
was a
Roman Emperor co-ruling with his father
Septimius Severus and his older brother
Caracalla
from 209 to his death.
Early
life
Geta was the younger son of Septimius Severus by his second wife
Julia
Domna. Geta was born in
Rome, at a time
when his father was only a provincial governor at the service of emperor
Commodus.
Geta was always in a place secondary to his older brother Lucius, the heir
known as Caracalla. Perhaps due to this, the relations between the two were
difficult from their early years. Conflicts were constant and often required the
mediation of their mother. To appease his youngest son, Septimius Severus gave
Geta the title of Augustus in 209. During the campaign against the
Britons of the early 3rd century, the imperial propaganda publicized a happy
family that shared the responsibilities of rule. Caracalla was his father's
second in command, Julia Domna the trusted counsellor and Geta had
administrative and bureaucratic duties. Truth was that the rivalry and antipathy
between the brothers was far from being improved.
Joint
Emperor
When Septimius Severus died in
Eboracum in the
beginning of 211, Caracalla and Geta were proclaimed joint emperors and returned
to Rome.
Regardless, the shared throne was not a success: the brothers argued about
every decision, from law to political appointments. Later sources speculate
about the desire of the two of splitting the empire in two halves. By the end of
the year, the situation was unbearable. Caracalla tried to murder Geta during
the festival of
Saturnalia
without success. Later in December he arranged a meeting with his brother in his
mother's apartments, and had him murdered in her arms by
centurions.
Following Geta's assassination, Caracalla
damned his memoryy and ordered his name to be removed from all inscriptions.
The now sole emperor also took the opportunity to get rid of his political
enemies, on the grounds of conspiracy with the deceased.
Cassius
Dio
[1]
stated that around 20,000 persons of both sexes were killed and/or proscribed
during this time.
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