Editing Tiberius (section)

== Early life ==

=== Family and youth ===

[[File:Livia y Tiberio M.A.N. 01.JPG|thumb|250px|Tiberius and his mother [[Livia]], AD 14–19, from [[Paestum]], [[National Archaeological Museum of Spain]], Madrid]]

Tiberius was born in [[Rome]] on 16 November 42&nbsp;BC to [[Tiberius Claudius Nero (father of Tiberius Caesar)|Tiberius Claudius Nero]] and [[Livia|Livia Drusilla]].{{sfn|Suetonius, ''Tiberius''|loc=5}} Both of his biological parents belonged to the ''[[Claudia gens|gens Claudia]]'', an ancient [[Patrician (ancient Rome)|patrician]] family that came to prominence in the early years of the republic.{{sfn|Suetonius, ''Tiberius''|loc=1}} His mother was also a member of the [[Livia gens|Livii]] family, an ancient [[Plebeians|plebeian]] but prominent family, through the adoption into it of his maternal grandfather.{{sfn|Suetonius, ''Tiberius''|loc=3}} Little is recorded of Tiberius's early life. In 39&nbsp;BC, his mother divorced his biological father and, despite being pregnant again by Tiberius Nero, married  [[Augustus|Octavian]], later known as Augustus. In 38&nbsp;BC his brother, [[Nero Claudius Drusus]], was born.{{sfn|Levick|1999|p=15}} In 32&nbsp;BC, Tiberius, at the age of nine, delivered the eulogy for his biological father at the ''[[rostra]]''. In 29&nbsp;BC, he rode in the triumphal chariot along with his adoptive father Octavian in celebration of the [[Battle of Actium|defeat of Antony and Cleopatra at Actium]].{{sfn|Suetonius, ''Tiberius''|loc=6}}

=== Succession question ===

In 23&nbsp;BC, Augustus became gravely ill, and his possible death threatened to plunge the Roman world into even more civil conflict. Historians generally agree that it is during this time that the question of Augustus's heir became most acute, and while Augustus had seemed to indicate that [[Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa|Agrippa]] and [[Marcus Claudius Marcellus (nephew of Augustus)|Marcellus]] would carry on his position in the event of his death, the ambiguity of succession became Augustus's chief problem.{{sfn|Southern|1998|pp=119–120}} In response, a series of potential heirs seem to have been selected, among them Tiberius and his brother Drusus. In 24&nbsp;BC, at the age of seventeen, Tiberius entered politics under Augustus's direction, receiving the position of ''[[quaestor]]'',{{sfn|Velleius|loc=2.94}} and was granted the right to stand for election as ''[[praetor]]'' and ''consul'' five years in advance of the age required by law.{{sfn|Suetonius, ''Tiberius''|loc=9}} Similar provisions were made for Drusus.{{sfn|Seager|2005|p=xiv}}