Editing Agrippa Postumus (section)

==Early life and family==
[[File:Agrippa, 1-25 CE; Altes Museum, Berlin (39282016015).jpg|thumb|right|A bust of Postumus' father [[Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa]]]]
Agrippa Postumus was born in [[Rome]] in 12 BC,<ref>{{harvnb|Mudd|2012|p=51}}</ref> approximately three months after his father, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, died in the summer.<ref group=note>[https://books.google.com/books?id=S2JoAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA138 Dio 54, 28]: "[When Agrippa died] Augustus happened to be giving, under the name of his children, contests of armed warriors at the [[Panathenaic Games|Panathenaic festival]], and when he learned of Agrippa's condition he left the country. Finding him dead, he conveyed the body to the capital and allowed it to lie in state in the Forum".</ref><ref name=Mudd115>{{harvnb|Mudd|2012|p=115}}</ref> He was born into the equestrian {{lang|la|[[Vipsania gens|gens Vipsania]]}}. His father was one of Augustus' leading generals, and his mother, [[Julia the Elder]], was the daughter of Augustus and his second wife, Scribonia.<ref name=Smith>{{harvnb|Smith|1873|p=78}}</ref> Postumus was the third son and last child of Agrippa and Julia; his older siblings were Gaius Caesar, [[Julia the Younger]], Lucius Caesar and [[Agrippina the Elder]]. Both of his brothers, Gaius and Lucius, were adopted by Augustus after the birth of Lucius in 17 BC.<ref>{{harvnb|Powell|2015|pp=159–160}}</ref>

Before Gaius left Rome for [[Asia (Roman province)|Asia]], Gaius and Lucius had been given the authority to consecrate the [[Temple of Mars Ultor]] (1 August 2{{nbsp}}BC), and they managed the games that were held to celebrate the Temple's dedication. Postumus, still a student, participated in the {{lang|la|[[Lusus Troiae]]}} ("Trojan Games") with the rest of the equestrian youth.<ref name=Mudd115/> At these games, according to [[Cassius Dio]], 260 lions were slaughtered in the [[Circus Maximus]], there was gladiatorial combat and a naval battle between the "Persians" and the "Athenians" and 36 crocodiles were slaughtered in the [[Circus Flaminius]].<ref>Cassius Dio, ''Roman History'', [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/55*.html#10 LV.10]</ref>

===Adoption===
At first, Augustus opted not to adopt Postumus so that Agrippa would have at least one son to carry on his family name. However, the untimely deaths of {{lang|la|principes}} Lucius (d. AD 2) and Gaius (d. AD 4) forced Augustus to adopt Postumus, his only remaining biological grandson, and [[Tiberius]], Augustus' eldest stepson from his third wife, [[Livia]], on 26 June AD 4 to secure the succession. He agreed to adopt Tiberius if Tiberius first adopted [[Germanicus]]. Upon his adoption into the {{lang|la|[[Julii Caesares]]}}, Postumus assumed the name "Marcus Julius Caesar Agrippa Postumus". After the adoptions of AD 4, in the event of Augustus' death, the title of {{lang|la|princeps}} would pass first to Tiberius and then to Germanicus.<ref>{{harvnb|Mudd|2012|pp=115–116}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Pettinger|2012|p=235}}</ref>

It was not intended that Postumus receive the emperorship; instead, he was meant to be the heir to Augustus' bloodline. He would receive Augustus' name, property, and bloodline but not the title of {{lang|la|princeps}}. Indeed, Postumus was not given any special schooling or treatment after his adoption. In AD 5, at the age of 17, he received the {{lang|la|[[toga virilis]]}}, and his name was added to the list of aristocratic youth eligible for training as military officers.<ref name=Mudd116>{{harvnb|Mudd|2012|p=116}}</ref> That differed greatly from the honours received by his brothers, both of whom were inducted into the [[Roman Forum]] by Augustus himself to commemorate their adoptions, given the title {{lang|la|Princeps Iuventutis}} ("Leader of the Youth") and promised the consulship five years in advance, to be held when they reached 19.<ref>{{harvnb|Levick|2012|p=16}}</ref>