This is a list of Roman Emperors with the dates they controlled the Roman Empire.
(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. On the other hand, the name Caesar became the family name of the first dynasty and was effectively treated as a title, a practice which continued throughout the Empire. Similarly, Suetonius wrote of The Twelve Caesars (including the Flavians) so some sense of continuity was evidently felt.)
For the worship of the Roman Emperor as a god, see imperial cult.
For a simplified list see: Concise List of Roman Emperors
italics: claimant who cannot be conisdered to have ruled or held power over part of the empire only
bold italics: nickname by which the individual is commonly known
The Principate/Claudian Dynasty
editReign | Common name | Personal name & Title at birth/ on eve of accession | Imperial name | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
8 June AD 68 to 15 January AD 69 | Galba | SERVIVS SVLPICIVS GALBA | SERVIVS GALBA IMPERATOR CAESAR AVGVSTVS | Murdered by Otho; see: Year of the four emperors |
15 January AD 69 to 16 April AD 69 | Otho | MARCVS SALVIVS OTHO | IMPERATOR MARCVS OTHO CAESAR AVGVSTVS | Committed suicide; see: Year of the four emperors |
2 January AD 69 to 20 December AD 69 | Vitellius | AVLVS VITELLIVS | AVLVS VITELLIVS GERMANICVS IMPERATOR AVGVSTVS | Co-emperor; murdered in the Forum; see: Year of the four emperors |
Reign | Common name | Personal name & Title at birth/ on eve of accession | Imperial name | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 July AD 69 to 24 June AD 79 | Vespasian | TITVS FLAVIVS VESPASIANVS | IMPERATOR VESPASIANVS CAESAR AVGVSTVS | AD 70: Pontifex Maximus Pater Patriae co-emperor; see: Year of the four emperors |
24 June AD 79 to 13 September AD 81 | Titus Flavius | TITVS FLAVIVS VESPASIANVS TITVS CAESAR VESPASIANVS | IMPERATOR TITVS CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVGVSTVS | AD 70: Pontifex Maximus Pater Patriae |
from August 69 IMPERATOR TITVS CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVGVSTVS | ||||
14 September AD 81 to 18 September AD 96 | Domitian | TITVS FLAVIVS DOMITIANVS CAESAR DOMITIANVS | IMPERATOR CAESAR DOMITIANVS AVGVSTVS, PONTIFEX MAXIMVS, PATER PATRIAE | late AD 83: Germanicus; assassinated |
Severan Dynasty, African, Asian and Syrian Emperors
editRulers during the Crisis of the Third Century
edit'Collegiate Emperors' of the Constantine Dynasty
editReign | Common name | Personal name & Title at birth/ on eve of accession | Imperial name | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
26 February 364 to 17 November 375 | Valentinian | FLAVIVS VALENTINIANVS | IMPERATOR CAESAR FLAVIVS VALENTINIANVS AVGVSTVS | |
24 August 367 to 383 | Gratian | FLAVIVS GRATIANVS | IMPERATOR CAESAR FLAVIVS GRATIANVS AVGVSTVS | Assassinated |
375 to 385 | Valentinian II | FLAVIVS VALENTINIANVS | IMPERATOR CAESAR FLAVIVS VALENTINIANVS AVGVSTVS | Deposed; died in suspicious circumstances |
383 to 388 | Magnus Maximus | MAGNVS MAXIMVS | Rival in the west; deposed and executed | |
c.386 to 388 | Flavius Victor | FLAVIVS VICTOR | Fate uncertain | |
392 to 394 | Eugenius | FLAVIVS EVGENIVS | Usurper in the west; killed in battle |
Reign | Common name | Personal name & Title at birth/ on eve of accession | Imperial name | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
388 to 17 January 395 | Theodosius I the Great | FLAVIVS THEODOSIVS | IMPERATOR CAESAR FLAVIVS THEODOSIVS AVGVSTVS
House of Valentinian | Co-emperor; emperor in the east from 379 |
23 January 393 to 395 | Honorius | FLAVIVS HONORIVS | Becoming emperor in the west |
Reign | Common name | Personal name & Title at birth/ on eve of accession | Imperial name | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
26 February 364 to 17 November 375 | Valentinian I | FLAVIVS VALENTINIANVS | IMPERATOR CAESAR FLAVIVS VALENTINIANVS AVGVSTVS | Co-emperor with Valens 364 to 378 |
28 March 365 to 9 August 366 | Valens | FLAVIVS IVLIVS VALENS | IMPERATOR CAESAR FLAVIVS IVLIVS VALENS AVGVSTVS | Killed in battle |
September 365 to 27 May 366 | Procopius | PROCOPIVS | Usurper; executed by Valens | |
24 August 367 to 383 | Gratianus | FLAVIVS GRATIANVS | IMPERATOR CAESAR FLAVIVS GRATIANVS | co-emperor with Valentinian II (375 to 392); assassinated |
19 January 379 to 17 January 395 | Theodosius I The Great | FLAVIVS THEODOSIVS | IMPERATOR CAESAR FLAVIVS THEODOSIVS AVGVSTVS | Co-emperor in the west from 388 |
383 to January 395 | Arcadius | FLAVIVS ARCADIVS | IMPERATOR CAESAR FLAVIVS ARCADIVS AVGVSTVS | Becoming Byzantine Emperor January 395 |
Gallic Empire 260 to 274
editReign | Common name | Personal name & Title at birth/ on eve of accession | Imperial name | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
260 to 268 | Postumus | MARCVS CASSIANIVS LATINIVS POSTVMVS | IMPERATOR CAESAR MARCVS CASSIANVS LATINIVS POSTVMVS PIVS FELIX INVICTVS AVGVSTVS | |
269 to 269 | Laelianus | VLPIVS CORNELIVS LAELIANVS | IMPERATOR CAESAR GAIVS VLPIVS CORNELIVS LAELIANVS PIVS FELIX AVGVSTVS | |
269 to 269 | Marius | MARCVS AVRELIVS MARIVS | IMPERATOR CAESAR MARCVS AVRELIVS MARIVS PIVS FELIX AVGVSTVS | |
269 to 271 | Victorinus | MARCVS PIAVONIVS VICTORINVS | IMPERATOR CAESAR MARCVS PIAVONIVS VICTORINVS PIVS FELIX INVICTVS AVGVSTVS | |
270 to 271 | Domitianus | Proclaimed emperor of the Gallic Empire | ||
271 to 274 | Tetricus I | CAIVS PIVS ESVVIVS TETRICVS | IMPERATOR CAESAR GAIVS PIVS ESVVIVS TETRICVS FELIX INVICTVS AVGVSTVS |
Reign | Common name | Personal name & Title at birth/ on eve of accession | Imperial name | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
286 to 293 | Carausius | MARCVS AVRELIVS MAVSAEVS | ||
293 to 297 | Allectus | not known | not known |
For continuation, see:- list of Barbarian kings of Italy
Eastern Empire
edit- 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
see also Gallic Empire; Roman usurper
External links
edit- There are good biographies of most of the Roman Emperors in De Imperatoribus Romanis.