×

Subscribe to Newsletter

List of Roman Emperors

Technically, the first Roman Emperor was Octavian Augustus, the adopted son of the legendary Caesar who, although put an end to the Roman Republic, was killed just before he could declare himself emperor. He laid the foundation for the first dynasty of emperors of Ancient Rome, known as Julius-Claudius and uniting several clans of Roman patricians at once. This dynasty gave Ancient Rome 8 emperors. 

1st Century BC — 1st Century AD

Guy Julius Caesar — 48-44 BC — killed by senators

Octavian Augustus — 31 BC-14 AD — died from natural causes

Tiberius — 14-37 AD — died from natural causes

Guy Caligula — 37-41 AD — killed by soldiers

Claudius — 41-54 AD — poisoned

Nero — 54-68 AD — committed suicide

Galba — 68-69 AD — lynched by soldiers

Oton — 69 AD — committed suicide

Vitellius — 69 AD — lynched by soldiers

Vespasian — 69-79 AD — died from natural causes

Titus — 79-81 AD — died from natural causes

Domitian — 81-96 AD — killed by courtiers

Nerva — 96-98 AD — died from natural causes

2nd Century AD

Trajan — 98-117 AD — died from natural causes

Adrian — 117-138 AD — died from natural causes

Lucius Elius — 136-138 AD — died from natural causes

Antoninus Pius — 138-161 AD — died from natural causes

Marcus Aurelius — 161-180 AD — died from natural causes

Lucius Ver — 161-169 AD — died from natural causes

Commodus — 180-192 AD — killed by the court

Pertinax — 193 AD — lynched by soldiers

Didi Julian — 193 AD — killed by soldiers

Pescennius Niger — 193-194 AD — executed

Claudius Albin — 193-197 AD — killed

3rd Century AD

Septimius Severus — 193-211 AD — died from natural causes

Caracalla — 211-217 AD — killed by the emperor Makrin

Geta — 211 AD — assassinated by Emperor Caracalla

Makrin — 217-218 AD — executed

Diadumen — 217-218 AD — executed

Heliogabal — 218-222 AD — lynched by soldiers

Severus Alexander — 222-235 AD — lynched by soldiers

Frakiyets — 235-238 AD — lynched by soldiers

Gordian I — 238 AD — committed suicide

Gordian II — 238 AD — killed

Balba — 238 AD — lynched by soldiers

Pupien — 238 AD — lynched by soldiers

Gordian III — 238-244 AD — killed

Philip Arab — 244-249 AD — slain

Decius — 249-251 AD — killed

Gostilian — 251 AD — died of illness

Trebonian Gall — 251-253 AD — lynched by soldiers

Emilian — 253 AD — lynched by soldiers

Valerian — 253-260 AD — captured by the Parthians, died in captivity in 262

Gallien — 253-268 AD — killed by soldiers

Claudius II of Gotha — 268-270 AD — died from natural causes

Quintill — 270 AD — lynched by soldiers

Aurelian — 270-275 AD — killed by his secretary

Tacitus — 275-276 AD — two versions: died of illness or killed by soldiers

Florian — 276 AD — lynched by soldiers

Probus — 276-282 AD — lynched by soldiers

Marcus Aurelius Car — 282-283 AD — killed by lightning

Marcus Aurelius Karin — 283-283 AD — killed by his officer

Marcus Aurelius Numerian — 283-284 AD — assassinated by his father-in-law

4th Century AD

Diocletian — 284-305 AD — died from natural causes

Maximian — 285-310 AD — committed suicide

Constantine I Chlorine — 305-306 AD — died from natural causes

Galerius — 305-311 AD — died from natural causes

Flavius Severus — 306-307 AD — killed

Constantine the Great — 306-337 AD — died from natural causes

Maxentius — 306-312 AD — killed

Licinius — 308-324 AD — executed

Maximin Daya — 309-313 AD — died from natural causes

Constantius II — 337-340 AD — killed

Constantius — 337-350 AD — killed by the court

Constantine II — 337-361 AD — died from natural causes

Magnesium — 350-353 AD — committed suicide

Julian the Apostate — 360-363 AD — killed

Jovian — 363-364 AD — died from natural causes

Valence — 364-378 AD — killed

Valentinian I — 364-375 AD — died from natural causes

Grazian — 367-383 AD — killed by the emperor Magnus Maximus

Valentinian II — 375-392 AD — killed by his general Arbogast

Theodosius I — 379-395 AD — died from natural causes

Western Roman Empire

The division of the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern occurred at the behest of Constantine I, who divided the empire between his sons. Later, the empire was united several times and divided again until Theodosius I the Great, the last ruler of the united empire, died in 395. Starting in 395, the Western and Eastern Roman empires no longer had common rulers.

On this emperor, the history of the Roman Empire ends and begins the history of the emperors of the Western Roman Empire and Byzantium. We will not touch the eastern part of the empire here, but end with the last emperors of the Western Roman Empire, until the moment when the barbarians crushed it.

The Western Roman Empire lasted 81 years. During this time, 20 emperors were at the head of it, although they were not always ruled. If at the beginning of the history of the Western Roman Empire we still see emperors proclaimed their legions, then at the end of its history emperors were appointed either in Constantinople or the leaders / kings of victorious barbarians. The history of the Western Roman Empire ends on September 4, 476, when the commander of the barbarian mercenaries Odoacer overthrew the last emperor Romulus Augustulus and proclaimed himself king.

The Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantium, lasted much longer, having managed to reach 1453. But that's another story.

List of the Western Roman Emperors

Magnus Maximus — 383-388 AD — executed

Arkady — 383-408 AD — died from natural causes

Honorius — 393-423 AD — died from natural causes

Flavius ​​John — 423-425 AD — executed by troops of the Eastern Roman Empire

Valentinian III — 425-455 AD — killed

Petronius Maxim — 455 AD — lynched by soldiers

Avit — 455-456 AD — abdicated

Majorian — 457-461 AD — abdicated

Libius Severus — 461-465 AD — poisoned

Procopius Antemius — 467-472 AD — executed

Olibrius — 472 AD — died of a plague

Glycerium — 473-474 AD — deposed by emperor Julius Nepot

Julius Nepot — 474-475 AD — killed

Romulus Augustulus — 475-476 AD — overthrown by the barbarian leader Odoacre, on which the history of the Western Roman Empire itself ended.