The Roman Emperors - a Chronological List


Back to the Bibliotheca

Statue of the Emperor Claudius
From: Forum Romanum Picture Index

Introduction


After the death of Julius Caesar, who had seized power of dictator of Rome, there was civil war until two men, Mark Antony and Julius Caesar’s adopted son Octavian, remained struggling for power. Octavian ruled the west, and Antony the east. Another civil war broke out, during which Antony was killed and Octavian became the sole ruler, and Rome’s first Emperor. He then changed his name to Augustus, and was later declared a god. The senate still existed, although there was now a sole ruler of Rome. Not all emperors ruled wisely, and some were said to be mad. In the beginning, there were dynasties, where family members succeeded each emperor. Later, the army had great influence over who became emperor, and many generals received the title. After 286 AD, there were often two emperors, one in the Eastern Empire and one in the Western Empire.


The List


Emperors written in black writing ruled both the east and the west, emperors written in blue ruled the west, and emperors written in red ruled the east.

Augustus
31 BC – AD 14
Tiberius
14 – 37 AD
Caligula
37 – 41
Claudius
41 – 54
Nero
54 – 68
Galba
68 – 69
Otho
69
Vitellius
69
Vespasian
69 – 79
Titus
79 – 81
Domitian
81 – 96
Nerva
96 – 98
Trajan
98 – 117
Hadrian
117 – 138
Antonius Pius
138 – 161
Marcus Aurelius
161 – 180
Lucius Verus
161 – 169
Commodus
177 – 192
Pertinax
193
Didius Julianus
193
Septimus Severus
193 – 211
Caracalla
198 – 217
Geta
209 – 212
Macrinus
217 – 218
Elagbalus
218 – 222
Severus Alexander
222 – 235
Maximinus I
235 - 238
Gordian
238
Gordian II
238
Pupienus
238
Balbinus
238
Gordian III
238 – 244
Philip
244 – 249
Decius
249 – 251
Hostilian
251
Gallus
251 – 253
Aemilian
253
Valerian
253 – 260
Gallienus
253 – 268
Claudius II Gothicus
268 – 270
Quintillus
269 – 270
Aurelian
270 – 275
Tacitus
275 – 276
Florian
276
Probus
276 – 282
Carus
282 – 283
Carinus
283 – 285
Numerian*
283 – 284
Diocletian 285 – 286
Maximian
286 – 305
Constantius I
305 - 306
Severus
305 - 307
Maxentius
307 - 312
Constantine I 307 – 324
Diocletian
286 - 305
Galerius
305 - 311
Maximinus II
310 - 313
Licinius 308 – 324
Constantine I
324 - 337

Constantine II
337 - 340
Constans
337 - 350
Magnentius
350 – 353
Constantius II
337 – 361
Julian
361 - 363
Jovian
363 - 364

Valentinian I
364 - 375
Gratian
375 – 383
Valentinian II
375 - 392
Honorius
395 - 423
Johannes
423 - 425
Valentinian II
425 - 455
Petronius Maximus
455
Avitus
455 - 456
Majorian
457 - 461
Libius Severus
461 - 467
Anthemius
467 - 472
Olybrius
472
Glycerius
473 - 474
Julius Nepos
474 - 475
Romulus Augustulus
475 – 476
Valens
364 - 378
Procopius
365 - 366
Theodosius I
379 - 395
Arcadius
395 - 408
Theodosius II
408 - 450
Marcian
450 - 457
Leo I
457 - 474
Leo II
474
Zeno
474 – 491

After 476 AD, the western Emperors lost their power, but the Eastern Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire, continued on until 1453.
*Co-Emperor