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Geta
– Roman Caesar: 198-209 A.D. –
Roman Emperor
: 209-211 A.D. –
Bronze 19mm (2.47 grams) of
Anchialus in
Thrace
Bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right.
AΓXIAΛEΩN,
Nemesis standing left holding scales and scepter
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In
Greek mythology
, Nemesis (Greek,
Νέμεσις), also called Rhamnousia/Rhamnusia (“the
goddess
of
Rhamnous
“) at her sanctuary at
Rhamnous
, north of
Marathon
, was the spirit of divine
retribution
against those who succumb to
hubris
(arrogance before the gods). The Greeks
personified vengeful
fate
as a remorseless goddess. The name
Nemesis is related to the
Greek
word νέμειν [némein], meaning “to give
what is due”. The
Romans
equated the Greek Nemesis with
Invidia
. (Aronoff
2003).
“Nemesis” is now often used as a term to describe one’s worst
enemy
, normally someone or something that is
the exact opposite of oneself but is also somehow similar. For example,
Professor Moriarty
is frequently described as
the nemesis of
Sherlock Holmes
.
Pomorie (Bulgarian:
Поморие; formerly known as Αγχίαλος
Anchialos in
Greek
, Anchialus in
Latin
) is a town and seaside resort in
southeastern Bulgaria
, located on a narrow rocky peninsula
in Burgas Bay
on the southern
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
. It is located in
Burgas Province
20 km from
Burgas
and 18 km from
Sunny Beach
. The ultrasaline lagoon
Lake Pomorie
, the northernmost of the
Burgas Lakes
, lies in the immediate proximity.
It is the center of
Pomorie Municipality
.
Pomorie is an ancient city and today an important tourist destination. As of
September 2005 it has a population of 14,600 and the mayor is Petar Zlatanov. It
lies at
 42.55°N
27.65°E /
42.55; 27.65
/ 42°33′N
27°39′E.
Possibly founded in the 5th or 4th century BC as a colony of Apollonia (today
Sozopol
), Anchialos was mentioned in
Strabo
‘s Geographica as a small town. It
was briefly captured by Messembria (Nesebar)
in the 2nd century BC, but reconquered by Apollonia and its fortified walls
destroyed. The name Anchialos is derived from
Ancient Greek
“anchi-” (“near, close to”) and “als-”
(either “salt” or a poetic and uncommon word for “sea”).
The western Black Sea coast was ultimately conquered by the
Romans
under
Marcus Licinius Crassus
in 29-28 BC after
continuous campaigns in the area since 72-71. The fortified wall was meanwhile
rebuilt, as evidenced by
Ovid in 9 AD en route to
Tomis
. In the early 1st century AD Anchialos
was the centre of a strategia of the vassal
Odrysian kingdom
, and the town had a
Thracian
population in the 6th century AD
according to the early
Byzantine
historian
Procopius
. As the Odrysian kingdom’s
self-independence was abolished in 45 AD, Anchialos became part of the
Roman province
of
Thrace
and was formally proclaimed a city under
Emperor Trajan
. At the time the city controlled a vast
territory bordering that of Augusta Trajana (Stara
Zagora) and reaching the
Tundzha
to the west, bordering that of
Messembria to the north and the southern shore of
Lake Burgas
to the south. Anchialos acquired
the appearance of a Roman city and thrived considerably in the 2nd and 3rd
century under the
Severan Dynasty
, seving as the most important
import and export station of Thrace.
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.
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
stated that around 20,000 persons of both sexes were killed and/or proscribed
during this time.
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