Hosidius Geta

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hosidius Geta (flourished either in 1st century, 2nd century or 3rd century) was a Roman playwright and was a contemporary of the Roman Christian writer Tertullian.

Geta was the author of a tragedy titled Medea. The tragedy has 462 verses in which the dialogue is in dactylic hexameters. From beginning to end, the tragedy has choral portions in anapaestic dimeters. It has a Centro Virgilianus. Medea could have been the earliest piece of Roman literature that could have been fabricated.

There is a possibility that Hosidius Geta could have been Gnaeus Hosidius Geta; a Roman general and consul who lived in the first century. The exploits of Gnaeus Hosidius Geta were during the reign of the Emperor Claudius, for his military service in Mauretania and Britain. His exploits are commemorated by Roman Greek historian and senator Cassius Dio.

Part of the written tragedy has survived from the writings of Tertullian. Geta and his play are also mentioned in the Augustan History accounts’ of the Emperors Macrinus and Gallienus.