This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.
I Am sensible, Sir, that your Majesty, wit•• many others, may perhaps admire, why I do take in here the Life of Geta Antoni〈…〉〈…〉 For indeed, I must confess that there is no•• much to be said of him, because he was ca〈…〉〈…〉 out of the World, as soon almost as he came
IMP. CAES. P. SEPT. GETA PIVS AVG.
IMP. CAES. M. OPEL. SEV. MACRINVS AVG
M OPEL. ANTONINVS DIADVMENIANVS CAES
IMP. CAES. MAVR. ANTONINVS PIVS AVG.
IMP. CAES. MAVR. SEV. ALEXANDER AVG.
MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG. GERM.
P. 318. Vol. 1.
upon the Throne as a Partner with his Brother, however I shall observe, that he had the name of Antoninus given him, no less than his Brother, by the Order of the Emperor Seve∣rus, his Father; and the reason of it, which I shall premise, before I proceed further, was this. His Father sometime, had had a Dream, that he should be succeeded by an Antoninus. Upon which he immediately went to his Sol∣diers, and at the head of them gave his eldest Son Bassianus, the name of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Bassianus. And when he had done this, whether it was out of his Paternal Affe∣ction unto Geta, or whether it was that Julia his Wife, who knew the Dream, had put him upon it, because Geta should not be altoge∣ther precluded Access to the Empire, he or∣dered that he also should be called by the name of Antoninus Geta: and always in his fa∣miliar Letters, which he writ afterwards in his absence to his Friends, he said of them both equally, Salute from me my Antoninusses, my Sons, and my Successors. But yet however all this Caution of neither the Father, nor the Mother availed any thing. For only the elder possessed the Empire, who was the first honoured with the name Antoninus.
His other name of Geta was what he had from either his Father's Brother, or from his Grandfather, whose names were Geta. There were yet other reasons for the addition of that name of Antoninus, to this of Geta. Severus would have had it to be a Rule, that all Princes in the time to come should be Entitled Antonini,
in the same manner as they are Augusti. Which was the effect of his great love to the Em∣peror Marcus Antoninus, whose Son he was pleased to call himself, and whose Wisdom and the Precepts of his Philosophy he always endeavoured to imitate. And not only the effect of his love to that Prince, who was an Antoninus but by Adoption, but of his Love and Honour also to Antoninus Pius the Suc∣cessour of Hadrian; by reason, that it was Antoninus Pius, who had preferred him from a Practicer in the Law to be the Keeper of the Exchequer; which was a happy Rise to him, and which had opened him the way to those great Advantages, that afterwards he came to attain unto: who thought therefore, that he could not borrow a name from any Prince better, than from one whose Reign had been so happy; nor a name more honourable than that, that had already run through four Emperors. Being skilful in the Doctrine of Astrology, as many of the Africans generally are, he said one day, because he knew the Na∣tivity of Geta; I admire, dear Juvenalis, (who was the Captain of the Guards to him) to think, that my Geta shall be a God, in whose Nativity I see nothing to make him an Em∣peror. Nor did his skill at all deceive him; for after Geta had been killed by his Brother, and his Brother apprehended that he had drawn upon himself the hatred of a Tyrant by the Crime, he understanding that it would be sweetned if he did but declare Geta a God, cried, Sit Divus dum not sit Vivus; Let him be
a God, so he is not an Emperor; and so he Con∣secrated him; by which the Murderer in some measure retrieved to himself the good Grace of the People again.
Geta Antoninus, was born at the City of Mi∣lan, under the Consulships of Severus and Vi∣tellius, upon the sixth of the Calends of June. His Mother was Julia; who was Severus's se∣cond Wife, being her whom he had chosen to Marry, because he had heard, that she had it in her Nativity to be the Wife of a King; though himself was at that time a private Per∣son, only in a good Employment in the State. As soon as he was born, it was told by one that a Hen had laid an Egg in the House, which was of a Purple colour. So the Egg was brought up; but Bassianus taking it in his hands and letting it fall, like a Child, to the Ground, that it brake, Julia said to him laughing, You wicked Villain, you have killed your Brother. Severus took more notice of this Expression at that time, than any other Body: but afterwards all the Company lookt upon it as a thing spoken, as it were, by In∣spiration. Another Omen that happened was this: upon the same day, and in the same hour that Geta was born, a Plebeian of the name of Antoninus, had at his Farm in the Country a Lamb kidded, with a mark upon his Head of the colour of Purple: and being informed by a Soothsayer, that an Antoninus should suc∣ceed to the Empire after Severus, he very fondly interpreted it of himself; but how∣ever killed the Lamb (in which consisted the
sign of the death of Geta) for fear that the Omen of so high a Fortune should bring him into danger. I would add one thing more, which the Event made People to interpret to the same purpose; which is, that when Seve∣rus one day Celebrated the Birth of Geta, his Brother Bassianus killed the Sacrifice himself, in the place of the Priest. A Circumstance not then considered nor taken notice of; but it was afterwards very well understood, when that Brother had sacrificed his Brother.
Geta, was in his temper a rough sort of a Youth; though not to a Fault; handsome, a little eager, a lover of delicious Wines and good Chear. There is this Story of him, which is remarkable, when he was a Boy. His Fa∣ther the Emperor Severus being for Eradicating wholly the Parties that opposed him, said once to his Sons, I do but rid you of your Enemies. So Bassianus advised him to cut them off all Root and Branch; them and their Children: but Geta askt the question, how many of them they were? His Father telling him, says he again, Have they Parents and Relations living? Yes. Then, says he, there will be more People in Rome sorry for your Victory, than there will be that are glad of it. And certainly Geta's Opinion had carried it, had not Plautianus the Captain of Guards, and Juvenal who had great interests, insisted upon the contrary, in hopes of enriching themselves by the Confis∣cation of the Estates: which was again se∣conded by the excessive Cruelty of Bassianus, who persisting in his first Opinion, and say∣ing,
He would have them all cut off; them and their Children; says Geta to him; You; who spare no Body, would kill your own Brother. Which, as then spoken, signified nothing: but afterwards it appeared to be a sort of a Prophesie.
He had an excellent Memory to improve himself by what he read in the Antients, and by what his Father taught him. His Brother had always hated him; but he was more be∣loved by his Mother Julia, than ever Bassianus was by his. He spoke agreeably, though some∣thing Stammering: he was curious in his Dress, to excess: and whatever was presented him, he applied it to his own Ornament, without giving it away to any body living. After the Parthian War, at what time his Father flourish∣ed in great glory, as Bassianus was declared a Part∣ner in the Empire with his Father, so Geta was Created a Caesar, and honoured with the name of Antoninus Geta. It was an usual diversion with him to propose to the Grammarians, Que∣stions about the several Cries and Voices of Animals, As the Sheep Bleats, the Swine Grunts, the Dove Coos, the Lion Roars, the Elephant Brays, the Frog Croaks, the Horse Whinnies, the Ass Brays, the Ox Lows; and to prove the use of the proper Latin Terms for each, out of the Antients. He read much in the Books of Se∣renus Sammonicus, written to Antoninus. As to the Table, he took a pleasure to observe an Alphabet; according to which, as every Letter came on each day in its Course, his Servants that knew it, and were well skilled in the
Arts of eating, provided things of the names, beginning with that Letter. As for example, for the Letter P. Puddings Plover, Pullet, Par∣tridge, Peacock, Pig, Piscis, Plumbs, and so upon other days for the other Letters in order. Which is an Argument that from his Youth he had a gay choice of things, and was a very pleasant Person.
After he was killed by his Brother, a Party of the Soldiers who had not been Corrupted, re∣sented his Murder very ill; saying all of them, That they had promised Fidelity to the two Sons of Severus, and ought to keep it equally to them both. Accordingly they kept fast the Passes of their Camp; and refused to give entrance to Bassia∣nus, till he had flattered them up, and had ap∣peased their Heats by giving them a Bounty, which was vastly great. After this Papinian, and many others were Massacred, who had either encouraged the good agreement of the two Brothers, or had appeared to be of the Side of Geta. Persons of Quality of both the Senatorian and the Equestrian Orders were Butchered, up and down publickly in the Baths and other places. Papinian died by the Axe; Bassianus finding fault with the Executioner that he had not done it with a Sword. In the mean time he was so afraid of his own Person, that he wore a Coat of Mail under his Purple, when he went to the Senate, to give them an account of what he did, and of the death of Geta. At which time, as Faustinus the Praetor repeated the Imperial Style, saying, Sarmati∣cus Maximus, and Parthicus Maximus, Titles
which Bassianus had gained by his Victories over the Sarmatae and the Parthians, Helvius Pertinax, the Son of the Emperor of that name, suggested it to him to say, and add to the rest Geticus Maximus; as if he meant it, in relation to his Victories over the Goths, who were then called Getae; but there was an Equi∣vocation in the Word; for it also referred to the Murder of his Brother Geta. This sunk deep into the Breast of Bassianus, as it appeared afterwards by his putting to death the Author, and not him only, but those others, as I have said above. More particularly, as to Helvius Pertinax, he was willing to cut him off, upon the account that he was in the good esteem of all the World; and then besides he was the Son of an Emperor, which it self was no very safe Circumstance for a private Person.
The Funeral of Antoninus Geta was so very Fine, that one would not have thought the same Brother that buried him, had killed him. He was buried in the Sepulchre of his Ance∣stors, that is to say, of Severus his Father, which is upon the Appian way. In fine it is to be observed, that the Caresses of Antoninus Ca∣racallus Bassianus, were more to be dreaded than his Frowns. He had an unaccountable Quality with him, to speak the fairest and the kindliest to those in appearance, whom he re∣solved to destroy. And again, it was a Mi∣racle to all to see him lament, as he did, the death of Geta, as often as his name was menti∣oned, or his Picture, or his Statue came in sight. He was therefore a Man of many
Windings and Turnings in his Humour; and this being accompanied with as much Cruelty as if he thirsted after Blood, it made him, that he would one time Massacre the Friends, ano∣ther time the Enemies of Geta, as Fortune of∣fered them to him; so that the loss of Geta, by the same means, became lamented more and more.
Occasion of his Names.
Good and bad O∣mens.
His Perso∣nage and Conditi∣ons.
His so∣lemn Fu∣neral.