Roman Emperors

Roman Emperors

According to tradition Rome was founded as a kingdom 753 BC. The last king was deposed 510 BC whereupon the Roman Republic was created. During the following century city after city and land after land was conquered until the Romans ruled almost the whole known world. The republic had great difficulties to administrate the empire and prevent civil wars. The republic was therefore replaced by a monarchy when Augustus became the first emperor 31 BC. The expansion continued and the Roman Empire reached its maximum extent AD 117, but pressure against the borders grew stronger. To cope with the increasing challenges Roman Empire was divided in two halves ruled by their own emperor from 285. Technically Rome was still a single empire and it was several times after that ruled by a single emperor, but the last time that happened was AD. 395 The western half collapsed during the 5^th century while the eastern half evolved into the Byzantine Empire, which would last until 1453. Emperors in red text did just have the title Caesar, i.e. was successor and vice-emperor. Years in red text show when an emperor became Caesar. Maps and chronologies over the Roman Empire are available on this page.

The Julio-Claudian Dynasty

31 BC- AD 14 14-37 34-41 41-54 54-68	Augustus (Octavianus) Tiberius Caligula Claudius Nero
First Year of Four Emperors
68-69 69 69	Galba Otho Vitellius
The Flavian Dynasty
69-79 (73) 79-81 81-96	Vespasianus Titus Domitianus
The Adoptive Emperors
96-98 98-117 117-138 138-161 161-180 161-168 (176) 180-192	Nerva Trajanus Hadrianus Antoninus Pius Marcus Aurelius Lucius Verus Commodus
Second Year of Four Emperors
193 193 193-194 (193) 195-197	Pertinax Didius Iulianus Pescennius Niger Clodius Albinus
Severan Dynasty
193-211 (198) 211-217 (209) 211-212	Septimus Severus Caracalla Geta
Macrine Dynasty
217-218 218	Macrinus I Macrinus II
Severan Dynasty
218-222 222-235	Heliogabalus Alexander Severus
The Barracks Emperors
235-238 238 238 238 238 238-244 244-249 247-249 249-251 251-253 253 253-260 (253) 260-268 (258) 260-268 268-270 270 270-275 275-276 276 276-282 282-283 (282) 283-285 (282) 283-284	Maximinus Thrax Gordianus I Gordianus II Pupienus Balbinus Gordianus III Philippus Arabs Philippus II Decius Trebonianus Gallus Aemilianus Valerianus I Gallienus Valerianus II Claudius II Gothicus Quintillus Aurelianus Tacitus Florianus Probus Carus Carinus Numerianus

The Tetrarchy

West		East
285-305 (293) 305-306 (305) 306-307 306-312 306-308 308-311	Maximianus Constantius I Chlorus Severus Maxentius Maximianus (restored) Licinius (East from 311)	284-305 (293) 305-311 (305) 311-313 311-324 317-323	Diocletianus Galerius Maximinus Daia Licinius Licinianus

House of Constantine the Great

306-337 317-326 (317) 337-340 (323) 337-361 (333) 337-350 361-363 363-364	Constantinus I (the Great)
	Crispus Constantinus II Constantius II Constans	Gaul West East West
	Iulianus Apostata (the Apostate) Iovianus

House of Valentinian

West		East
364-375 375-383 383-388 383-392 392-394 394-395	Valentinianus I Gratianus Magnus Maximus Valentinianus II Eugenius Theodosius (the Great)	364-378 379-395	Valens Theodosius (the Great)
		East Rome evolve to the Byzantine Empire

West Rome

395-423 423-425 425-455 455 455-456 457-461 461-465 465-467 467-472 472 473 473-475 475-476	Honorius Iohannes Valentinianus III Petronius Maximus Avitus Majorianus Libius Severus Interregnum Anthemius Olybrius Glycerius Iulius Nepos (Dalmatia 475-80) Romulus Augustus (Augustulus)
The German Odovacar deposes the last West Roman Emperor 476 and proclaim himself king of Italy.