List of Roman Emperors

This is a list of Roman Emperors. Shown are the dates of their reign.

(Note that, contrary to popular belief, Julius Caesar was never Emperor (princeps), although he was named dictator for life in 45 BC (but was not the first Roman to hold that title) and was regarded as such by Roman historians.)

For the worship of the Roman Emperor as a god, see imperial cult.

Table of contents

1 The Principate 2 Flavian Dynasty 3 Nervan-Antonian Dynasty 4 Severan Dynasty 5 Rulers during the Crisis of the Third Century 6 Tetrarchy 7 House of Constantine 8 Valentinian Dynasty 9 House of Theodosius 10 Western Empire 11 Eastern Empire 12 External link

The Principate

• Augustus (27 BC - AD 14)
• Tiberius (14 - 37)
• Gaius Caligula (37 - 41)
• Claudius (41 - 54)
• Nero (54 - 68)
• Galba (68 - 69)
• Otho (69)
• Vitellius (69)

Flavian Dynasty

• Vespasian (69 - 79)
• Titus Flavius (79 - 81)
• Domitian (81 - 96)

Nervan-Antonian Dynasty

• Nerva (96 - 98)
• Trajan (98 - 117)
• Hadrian (117 - 138)
• Antoninus Pius (138 - 161)
• Marcus Aurelius (161 - 180) (co-emperor Lucius Verus 161 - 169)
• Commodus (180 - 193)

Severan Dynasty

• Pertinax (193) (recognized as emperor by Septimius Severus)
• Septimius Severus (193 - 211) (throne was also claimed by Didius Julianus 193, Pescennius Niger 193 - 194, and Clodius Albinus 193 - 197)
• Caracalla (211 - 217)
• Macrinus (217 - 218)
• Heliogabalus (218 - 222)
• Alexander Severus (222 - 235)

Rulers during the Crisis of the Third Century

• Maximinus Thrax (235 - 238)
• Gordian I and Gordian II (238)
• Pupienus and Balbinus (238)
• Gordian III (238-244)
• Philip the Arab (244-249)
• Decius (249-251)
• Herennius Etruscus (251)
• Hostilian (251)
• Trebonianus Gallus (251-253)
• Aemilianus (253)
• Valerian I (253-260)
• Gallienus (260-268) (throne claimed by Aureolus 265)
• Claudius II Gothicus (268-270)
• Quintillus (270)
• Aurelian (270-275)
• Tacitus (275-276)
• Florianus (276)
• Probus (276-282) (throne claimed by Saturninus 280, Proculus 280, and Bonosus 280)
• Carus (282-283)
• Carinus (283-284) (co-emperor Numerian; throne claimed by M. Aurelius Julianus 283)

Tetrarchy

• Diocletian (284 - 305) (co-emperor Maximian 286 - 305)
• Constantius Chlorus (305-306) (co-emperor Galerius 305 - 311)
• Constantine I, the Great (306 - 337) (co-emperors Galerius, Licinius 308 - 324, and Maximinus Daia 308 - 313; throne claimed by Maxentius 306 - 312, and Domitius Alexander 308 - 309)

House of Constantine

• Constantius II (337 - 361) (together with Constantine II 337 - 340, and Constans 337 - 350; throne claimed by Magnentius 350 - 353)
• Julian (361 - 363). Also known as 'the Apostate'
• Jovian (363 - 364)

Valentinian Dynasty

• Valentinian I (364 - 375) (co-emperor Valens 364 - 378; throne claimed by Procopius 364 - 365)
• Gratianus (375 - 383) (co-emperor Valentinian II, 375-392; throne claimed by Magnus Maximus, 383 - 388)

House of Theodosius

• Theodosius I (379 - 395; throne claimed by Eugenius 392 - 394)

Western Empire

• Honorius (395 - 423) (co-emperor Constantius III 421; throne claimed by Priscus Attalus 409 - 410 and again in 414 - 415, Constantine III 409 - 411, and Jovinus, 411 - 412)
• Valentinian III (423 - 455) (throne also claimed by Joannes 423 - 425)
• Petronius Maximus (455)
• Avitus (456 - 457)
• Majorian (457 - 461)
• Libius Severus (461) - 465)
• Anthemius (467 - 472)
• Olybrius (472)
• Glycerius (473 - 474)
• Julius Nepos - (474 - 47/480)
• Romulus Augustus (a.k.a. Romulus Augustulus) 'last' western emperor (475 - 476)

continuation: see list of Barbarian kings of Rome

Eastern Empire

• Arcadius (395 - 408)
• Theodosius II (408 - 450)
• Marcian (450 - 457)
• Leo I (457 - 474)
• Leo II (474)
• Zeno (474 - 491)
• Basiliscus (475 - 476)
• Zeno (restored) (476 - 491)

continuation: see list of Byzantine Emperors

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see also Julio-Claudian family tree; Gallic Empire

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External link

There are good biographies of most Roman Emperors in De Imperatoribus Romanis.