Gaius or Gnaeus Hosidius Geta ( ; c. 20 – after 95 AD) was a

Roman Senator The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...

and

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

who lived in the 1st century. Geta was a

praetor Praetor ( , ), also pretor, was the title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected '' magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to discharge vari ...

some time before 42. In the latter year, commanding a

legion Legion may refer to: Military * Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army * Spanish Legion, an elite military unit within the Spanish Army * Legion of the United States, a reorganization of the United States Army from 179 ...

, probably the '' Legio IX Hispana'' in the Africa Province, he was a part of

Gaius Suetonius Paulinus Gaius Suetonius Paulinus (fl. AD 41–69) was a Roman general best known as the commander who defeated the rebellion of Boudica. Early life Little is known of Suetonius' family, but it likely came from Pisaurum (modern Pesaro), a town on the Ad ...

' campaigns into

Mauretania Mauretania (; ) is the Latin name for a region in the ancient Maghreb. It stretched from central present-day Algeria westwards to the Atlantic, covering northern present-day Morocco, and southward to the Atlas Mountains. Its native inhabitants ...

. Geta defeated Sabalus, a chief of the

Mauri Mauri (from which derives the English term "Moors") was the Latin designation for the Berber population of Mauretania, located in the part of North Africa west of Numidia, in present-day northern Morocco and northwestern Algeria. Name ''Mauri'' ...

, twice, and after gathering as much water as could be carried, pursued him into the desert. Sabalus' forces were more used to the conditions and the legion's water began to run out. A native friendly to the Romans persuaded Geta to perform a rain ritual used by his people and rain began to fall. The Romans' thirst was relieved and the Mauri, seeing the heavens come to their enemies' aid, surrendered. Geta and his legion were part of the

Roman conquest of Britain The Roman conquest of Britain refers to the conquest of the island of Britain by occupying Roman forces. It began in earnest in AD 43 under Emperor Claudius, and was largely completed in the southern half of Britain by 87 when the Stan ...

, led by

Aulus Plautius Aulus Plautius was a Roman politician and general of the mid-1st century. He began the Roman conquest of Britain in 43, and became the first governor of the new province, serving from 43 to 46 CE. Career Little is known of Aulus Plautius's e ...

, the following year. Geta was almost captured in the

Battle of the Medway The Battle of the Medway took place in 43 AD, probably on the River Medway in the lands of the Iron Age tribe of the Cantiaci, now the English county of Kent. Other locations for the battle have been suggested but are less likely. This was an ...

in the early part of the campaign, but recovered and turned the battle so decisively that he received the ''

ornamenta triumphalia The Roman triumph (') was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the success of a military commander who had led Roman forces to victory in the service of the state or in some historical tra ...

'', which was unusual as he had not yet been a

Consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...

. He was a

Legatus A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the officer ...

Britannia Britannia () is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Grea ...

about 45. An inscription found in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

reveals that he became Suffect

in 49. Geta married, but the name of his wife is unknown. He had a daughter called Hosidia, born about the year 65. Hosidia married

Marcus Vitorius Marcellus Marcus Vitorius Marcellus or Vitorius Marcellus (c. 60after 105) was a Roman senator who lived in the 1st century and 2nd century. He was a friend of Quintilian and the poet Statius. Marcellus was suffect consul for the '' nundinium'' of Septembe ...

, a man of consular rank and a friend of the poet

Statius Publius Papinius Statius ( Greek: Πόπλιος Παπίνιος Στάτιος; ; ) was a Greco-Roman poet of the 1st century CE. His surviving Latin poetry includes an epic in twelve books, the ''Thebaid''; a collection of occasional poetry, ...

. Hosidia and Marcellus had a son called

Gaius Vitorius Hosidius Geta Gaius Vitorius Hosidius Geta ( ) was a Roman who lived in the 1st century AD and 2nd century AD. Geta was an only son and might have had a sister called Vitoria. His father was Roman consul and senator Marcus Vitorius Marcellus and his mother was ...

Sources

Cassius Dio Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

, ''Roman History'
60.9, 20
* William Smith (1870), ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'

External links

a

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hosidius Geta, Gnaeus Ancient Romans in Britain Ancient Roman generals Senators of the Roman Empire Suffect consuls of Imperial Rome 1st-century Romans 20s births Year of birth uncertain Year of death unknown Hosidii