Figure 1.--The Altar of Paece is the most beautiful surviving piece of Roman sculpture. It was dedicated in 13 AD, a year before Augustus died. Depicted on the side was the royal family. The young boy to the left is Germanivcus, the son of Octavia minor (Augustus' niece) and Drusus Maior. The other two boys are the children of Antonia maior (another niece) and Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus. Note that the boys here wear long togas and not short tunics. I am not positive why, but may relate to the formality of the occassion. Almost surely it was not what they normally wore.

Once a boy became a man, he put aside his childish clothes, and wore an all-white tunic. A boy became a citizen at age 16 or 17. The year was selected by choosing the date which came closest to March 17. Coming of age, becoming a citizen, was quite a celebration. Boys at about 17 years of age would take part in a ceremony in which they were given the adult toga called Toga Virilis. This was often white and the braid symbolising childhood was missing. After putting on his new toga, the boy's proud father would adjust it. The day ended with a dinner party, given by the father, in honor of the new Roman citizen. We do note images of children wearing what look like togas, but this appaers to have been children of important officials in formal occassions. It was not what they regularly wore.

Sources

Gur, O. Selcuk. Daily Life in Ancient Times (Pub. Kuyucu Matbaacilik Ltd.).

Macdonald, Fiona. Ancient Rome (Pub Miles Kelly, U.K, 2002).