The Roman Emperors - a Chronological List


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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