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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 Caesar 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.

When Septimius Severus died in York in the beginning of 211, Caracalla and Geta were proclaimed joint emperors and returned to Rome. Geoffrey of Monmouth claims that Geta was raised to the kingship of the Britons by the Roman legions still occupying York. The Britons, however, rose up Caracalla to the throne because Monmouth states Caracalla was the son of a Briton mother. This contradicts evidence that Geta and Caracalla had the same mother. 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 centurionA centurion was a professional officer of the Roman army. Centurions commanded a century of soldiers and noncombatants. As a centurion grew in seniority, he could command a cohort, and eventually become primus pilus Latin for first rank, of a Roman legions.

Following Geta's assassination, Caracalla damned his memoryDamnatio memoriae ( Latin for "damnation of memory", in the sense of removed from the remembrance was a form of dishonor which could be passed by the Roman Senate upon traitors or others who brought discredit to the Roman Empire. The sense of the expressi 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. Contemporary sources refer to numbers of about 20,000 persons of both sexes killed and/or proscribed during this time.

References: Dio Cassius lxxvii; Spartianus, Caracalla, 2; Herodian iv. I.

See also: Severan dynasty family treeThis is a family tree of the Severan dynasty of the Roman Empire. See also: List of family trees Severan dynasty Families of Rome Severan Dynasty Family trees.