Editing Adoption in ancient Rome (section)

===The Julio-Claudian dynasty===
[[File:JulioClaudian.svg|thumb|336x336px|Julio Claudian Family Tree]]
[[Augustus]], as he was known after he became the first [[Roman emperor]], was adopted into the ''[[gens Julia]]'' in [[Augustus#Heir to Caesar|the will of his great uncle]], [[Julius Caesar]]. He inherited Caesar's money, name, and ''[[auctoritas]]''.

As Augustus's central role in the [[Principate]] solidified, it became increasingly important for him to designate an heir. He first adopted his daughter Julia's three sons by [[Marcus Agrippa]], renaming them [[Gaius Caesar]], [[Lucius Caesar]], and [[Agrippa Postumus|Agrippa Caesar]]. After the former two died young and the latter was exiled, Augustus adopted his stepson, [[Tiberius|Tiberius Claudius Nero]], on the condition that he adopt his own nephew, [[Germanicus]] (who was also Augustus's great nephew by blood). Tiberius succeeded Augustus, and after Tiberius's death, Germanicus's son [[Caligula]] became emperor.{{sfn|Levick|1966|pp=227–244}}

[[Claudius]] adopted his stepson Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, who changed his name to Nero Claudius Caesar and succeeded Claudius as the emperor, [[Nero]].