Getulius
Christian martyr and saint
About Getulius
Lived 100 – 120.
Saint Getulius (died 120 AD) is venerated together with Amantius (Amancius), Cerealus (Caerealis), and Primitivus as a Christian martyr and saint. They are considered to have died at Gabii. According to tradition, Getulius was the husband of Saint Symphorosa. Getulius is a name meaning "of the Gaetuli", which was a tribe of North Africa.
Legends and burial According to his legend, Getulius was a native of Gabii in Sabina. Getulius was an officer in the Roman army who resigned when he became a Christian. He retired to his estates near Tivoli. Caerealis was an imperial legate sent to arrest him but was converted to Christianity by Getulius. Primitivus was another officer sent to arrest him, but he was also converted. Amantius was Getulius' brother.
The relics of his purported wife St. Symphorosa and their seven sons were transferred to the Church of Sant'Angelo in Pescheria at Rome by Pope Stephen II in 752. A sarcophagus was found here in 1610, bearing the inscription: Hic requiescunt corpora SS. Martyrum Simforosae, viri sui Zotici (Getulii) et Filiorum ejus a Stephano Papa translata. They were placed in a glass urn during the pontificate of Pius IV, who placed the relics in an urn of glass. In 1584, part of his relics were donated by Gregory XIII to the Jesuits, and these relics are found in a chapel near the Villa d'Este. Some relics were taken to Jesuit colleges in India and Spain (June 25, 1572). On September 26, 1587, to prevent further distribution, Mariano Perbenedetti, governor of Rome, enclosed the rest of the relics at Sant'Angelo in a sarcophagus of marble. This same sarcophagus also holds relics of Cyrus and John.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Getulius's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Getulius?
Christian martyr and saint
When was Getulius born?
Getulius was born in 100 in Gabii.
When did Getulius die?
Getulius died in 120 in Tivoli.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Getulius. https://biography.guide/getulius/
MLA: "Getulius." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/getulius/.
Chicago: "Getulius." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/getulius/.
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