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Tiberius was the adopted son of Augustus and he was a member of one of the most important Roman families the Claudians. His biological father died when he was nine. Tiberius was not at first the designated heir of Augustus but it was expected that he would play a role in the public affairs of Rome. Tiberius proved to be very capable and he was appointed by Augustus to a series of military and political offices.<ref> Suetonius, <i>The Twelve Caesars, Life of Tiberius</i>, ii</ref> He achieved a string of military and diplomatic successes in Germany, Armenia, Raetia and Illyria. During this time, the succession became an issue and there was some concern as to who would succeed Augustus. Deaths in the family and internal family politics resulted in Tiberius emerging as a potential heir of Augustus.
Augustus forced Tiberius to divorce his beloved wife and marry Julia, the daughter of the first Emperor. Many historians believe that this changed Tiberius character forever and that he became increasingly gloomy and misanthropic after his forced divorce. Tiberius marriage to Julia was an unhappy one and she shamelessly committed adultery in public.<ref>Suetonius, iii</ref> This was a public humiliation for Tiberius. Augustus was not aware of his daughter’s adultery and scandalous behavior. Tiberius retired to the island of Rhodes and here he studied rhetoric and philosophy. By now he had been marginalized and he was no longer considered a candidate to succeed Augustus. However, there were another series of deaths and Tiberius was left as the only mature male of the House of the Julian-Claudins, who could succeed Augustus. Tiberius was summoned back from Rhodes and he was announced as the successor of Augustus. The emperor was believed to have been influenced in his decision by Tiberius mother, the formidable Livia. Tiberius was appointed to several roles such as consul and he succeeded Augustus after his death with little opposition in 14 AD. There was a mutiny in Germany that Tiberius had quelled by his nephew Germanicus.<ref> Tacitus, <i>Annals</i>, ii</ref>
=== Reign as Emperor===
