Geta

Geta
Relatives	Caracalla (twin brother)
Occupation	Emperor
Status	Deceased
Place of death	Roman palace
Cause of death	Slaughtered by his brother Caracalla and Macrinus
Gender	Male
Portrayed by	Joseph Quinn
Appears in	Gladiator II

Geta served as co-emperor of Rome alongside his twin brother, Caracalla.

In the film Gladiator II he is portrayed by Joseph Quinn.

Profile

He and his brother Caracalla are both damaged goods from birth. The two of them threaten Lucilla's well-being as a means of controlling General Marcus Acacius. Their leadership is a harbinger of the end of Roman dominance.

Gladiator II - Emperors (2024 Movie) - Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington

History

Some 16 years following the deaths of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, Geta is one of the twin Emperors of Rome, having seized power along with his brother Caracalla. The two are bloodthirsty and vicious, ruthlessly orchestrating campaigns to expand Rome's territory, and Marcus Aurelius and Maximus Decimus Meridius's vision of a Rome for the people has not been realized.

In honor of Marcus Acacius's latest conquest, the African coastal village of Numidia, Caracalla and Geta host games in the Colosseum. They release savage monkeys to savage the conquered people who have been brought over from Numidia, but their attention is attracted by one "Hanno," who manages to not only survive the monkeys, but fight back against them. With their permission, the warlord and Gladiator-master Macrinus claims Hanno as a Gladiator, none of them knowing that Hanno is actually Lucius Verus, secretly the Prince of Rome, sent away for his own safety by the Empress Lucilla.

In the aftermath of this first match, Caracalla and Geta hold a party to celebrate the fall of Numidia. There, they attempt to speak with Lucius, only for him to remain entirely silent. Macrinus claims that he knows nothing of their native tongue, only for Lucius to then unexpectedly speak up and recite poetry by Virgil at him. Later, when witnessing him fighting again, they recite the poem, causing Lucilla to recognize Lucius as her son, as he saw the poem in question engraved on the wall of their home.

Lucilla and Acacius hatch a plot to depose the two Emperors, as Acacius, once a subject of Maximus, has grown wary of war and wishes to fulfill the vision of Lucilla's father. The two, however, are betrayed by Senator Thraex and brought before Caracalla and Geta. Caracalla, suffering from a disease of the brain, wishes to kill them both in his rage, but Geta counsels caution, as they are both loved by the people. They, therefore, arrange for Lucilla to watch as Acacius is brought to the Colosseum instead, where he is to be slain by Lucius.

Acacius, knowing who Lucius truly is, pleads for Lucius to spare him, revealing his respect for Maximus and that he truly loves Lucilla. His words sway Lucius, who puts down his sword, but Caracalla and Geta nevertheless call for Acacius's death. When Lucius still refuses, they call forth the Praetorian Guard, who fire multiple arrows and kill Acacius. Lucius then stokes the crowd, asking if this is how Rome treats its heroes. Caracalla and Geta are forced to make a hasty retreat, as a bloodthirsty mob calls for their death outside the palace.

Inside, Macrinus set Caracalla against Geta. He fed his own belief that Geta had been plotting against him, with Caracalla claiming that Geta tried to kill him even in the womb. Blinded by his rage, Caracalla approached Geta with his accusations holding a sword. He sliced his brother's hand while shouting that he's a liar and then rushed to stab him. Geta tried to restrain and reason with him, pleaded to him to stop and confessed that he always protected him because he loved him. Desperate, Geta asked Macrinus to help him. But the latter guided Caracalla's hand instead, cutting Geta's throat and eventually decapitated him.

In the aftermath of his death, Caracalla took his pet monkey, Dondus, as his first consort and Macrinus as his second. Meanwhile, Macrinus presented the Senate with Geta's head as warning.

Personality

Geta was a sadistic, egotistical ruler who ruled Rome and all of the Colosseum's entertainment. Just like Caracalla, he got amused easily by people fighting each other, as he enjoyed watching discord unfold among combatants in the Colosseum. His corrupt rule impacted the amount of bloodshed on the floors of the arena, showing his intense liking for war. Geta, however, was the somewhat saner of the two, recognizing the need for caution. Ultimately, however, it was his failure to recognize his own brother's failings and the corrupt nature of Macrinus that resulted in his undoing.

Historical accuracy

In real-life, Geta was proclaimed joint emperor of Rome alongside Caracalla upon the death of their father, Septimius Severus. The two proved incapable of sharing power and Caracalla arranged the murder of his brother later that same year.

Gladiator II creator/director Ridley Scott describes the characters in the film as being the equivalent of the legend of Romulus and Remus, "the two lunatics who formed Rome but were bred from the milk of a wolf? [Caracalla and Geta] came up a different way, but were probably brain damaged."

Behind the scenes

In an interview with Empire magazine, Caracalla actor Fred Hechinger stated that Ridley Scott's influences for Caracalla and Geta were pretty varied and ranged from the real Caracalla and Geta (being very loosely based on the historical figures), to Beavis and Butt-Head, Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten, with Geta being the Butt-Head and Johnny Rotten of the duo, being the saner brother.