Geta

Geta flees the Cornelii estate under the cover of night.

**Geta** is a Thracian slave of Gaius Cornelius Calvus. In 80 AD, he fled from the Cornelii estate, but was captured by Davus and returned shorty afterward.

## Biography

### The Cornelii depart for Rome

As slaves were lodging the luggage of the Cornelii onto their carriage as they prepared to journey to Rome, Geta grabbed Sextus's chest from him and threw it into the carriage. This angered Sextus, who shouted at him demanding he be careful and not throw his belongings.

### Fleeing the Cornelii estate

After the Cornelii had left for Rome, Geta, along with all of Cornelius's other slaves, was called into an open space near the house by Davus, which was soon full of slaves making a loud noise, because, as overseer, Davus was responsible for managing the estate in Cornelius's absence. Davus then shouted at them ordering them to be quiet and to listen to him, and explained that despite Cornelius's absence they are still required to work.

The slaves then began murmuring among themselves that Davus wanted to be the master, but then noticed that he had a stick and could beat them, and decided it was therefore necessary to work because he was ordering them to. All of the slaves except Geta returned to the fields. Geta did not return because he did not like or fear Davus.

That night, he prepared food and fled from the Cornelii estate. No one saw or stopped him. When it became day, he hid himself in the branches of a tree and went to sleep. Meanwhile, although it was not yet light, Davus woke up the other slaves and ordered them to leave the fields and begin working. He did not see Geta, however, so he asked the other slaves where he was. Davus was enraged and then worried, and immediately looked out of the estate's gate toward the road, but did not see Geta.

### Capture by Davus

Davus called together the other slaves and asked them where Geta was, and no one could respond. Davus was anxious because he knew he would be punished by Cornelius if he failed to find him. He therefore sent groups of slaves to different parts of the estate to look for Geta, but none of them found him, so he ordered them to lead dogs into the open space instead. They let the dogs smell Geta's tunic so they could track his scent.

Soon, Davus was leading slaves with the dogs in the fields. The dogs lead them through Cornelius's fields, passing streams and ditches, neither of which hindered the dogs, until they found Geta's footprints, but they still could not find him, and so Davus continued to the forest. Geta, who was still asleep in a tree, was woken up by the dogs barking. He could no longer flee and so sat in the branches, immobile and terrified, as the dogs were barking and the slaves approaching. Although he did not see the dogs, he could hear them.

They saw the miserable Geta hidden in the branches. Davus shouted at Geta to climb down, which he did. Davus then dragged him by his tunic and beat him with his stick, and then ordered the slaves to drag him back to the estate and brand "FUG" (short for fugitivusis/runaway) on his forehead.

## References

1. ↑ The Multicultural Tradition, Ecce Romani II, Edition 3
2. ↑ Chapter X of the fourth edition of Ecce Romani I.
3. ↑ Chapter XI of the fourth edition of Ecce Romani I.
4. ↑ Chapter XII of the fourth edition of Ecce Romani I.