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Author Topic: Geta: from Publius to Lucius to Publius - why?  (Read 335 times)

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Offline Timestheus

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Geta: from Publius to Lucius to Publius - why?
« on: May 13, 2022, 01:17:56 pm »
Hello...

I have a question that I have been looking for an answer for a long time, but have not found one until today. It is about the first name change of the Geta.

On March 7, 189 Geta was born Publius Septimius Geta - after his paternal grandfather. On the first city Roman and provincial coinage also appears "Publius" as a first name in the legend inscriptions. So far, so good.

Then Geta receives (temporarily) another first name with "Lucius". Here the question arises whether this referred to Lucius Verus or to Lucius Aurelius Commodus. Either way - Lucius then appears as an official name on the inscriptions between 198-200 AD to my knowledge.

All of a sudden, however, from about 200/202 AD, "Publius" appears again as the first name on the city Roman coinage. After these years no coin is used in Rome with "Lucius" as name any more! Since the stamp cutters were certainly not allowed to decide this alone - this instruction came from the highest authority. So from the imperial house. But what had happened?

Publius Septimius Geta became Lucius Septimius Geta became Publius Septimius Geta. But why?

The first renaming around 198 from Publius to Lucius was surely for reasons of propaganda in the course of the Antonine. So something positive.

But why did they "take away" the Lucius from Geta again?

Was it Geta's will to get his old first name again to distance himself? Around 200/202 he was only 11-13 years young. His father surely wanted the renaming from Publius to Lucius. Why should his father accept the wishes of an 11 year old brat who wanted to have his old first name again?

Was it the will of Septimius Severus to use again the birth name of Geta? Did he want to demote his younger son? Had something happened?


Whereever i search - I read everywhere only that Geta briefly held the first name "Lucius". But nowhere why he had it only briefly. But something serious must have happened. His father certainly didn't just change his name to Lucius - something must have happened to make Severus reverse this step. Does anyone know why? Thanks.

Offline curtislclay

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Re: Geta: from Publius to Lucius to Publius - why?
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2022, 08:33:05 pm »
My best guess so far: Geta's original praenomen was Publius.

When he was made Caesar in Jan. 198, his praenomen was changed to Lucius in honor of his father, Lucius Septimius Severus.

The new praenomen did not stick, however. Maybe Geta personally preferred Publius, or there was a political reason that we don't know about. In any case, after a couple of years Geta returned to his original praenomen Publius.
Curtis Clay

Offline Timestheus

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Re: Geta: from Publius to Lucius to Publius - why?
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2022, 07:31:13 am »
I had my hopes especially in you :) ... then the reason will probably remain a mystery for the time being, why he (Geta) got his birth name again in the end. Maybe one day an explanation will be found. Thank you anyway of course.

 

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