Whole Empire161–180
Marcus Aurelius
Nerva–Antonine dynasty
Stoic philosopher-emperor, last of the Five Good Emperors; co-ruled with Lucius Verus until 169.
Wikipedia161 — 1453 · Anno Domini
From Marcus Aurelius
to the Fall of Constantinople
Thirteen centuries, three realms, more than one hundred and thirty rulers — emperors of Rome from the Antonines to the last defender of the Theodosian Walls.
Whole EmpireWestern EmpireEastern (Byzantine)
- 161–180
- 161–169Whole Empire161–169
Lucius Verus
Nerva–Antonine dynasty
Co-emperor with Marcus Aurelius; led campaigns against Parthia.
Wikipedia - 177–192Whole Empire177–192
Commodus
Nerva–Antonine dynasty
Decadent son of Marcus Aurelius; his murder ended the Nerva–Antonine dynasty.
Wikipedia - 193Whole Empire193
- 193Whole Empire193
- 193–211Whole Empire193–211
- 198–217Whole Empire198–217
Caracalla
Severan dynasty
Granted Roman citizenship to nearly all free inhabitants of the empire.
Wikipedia - 209–211Whole Empire209–211
- 217–218Whole Empire217–218
- 218Whole Empire218
- 218–222Whole Empire218–222
Elagabalus
Severan dynasty
Teenage priest-emperor of the Syrian sun god; assassinated by the Guard.
Wikipedia - 222–235Whole Empire222–235
Severus Alexander
Severan dynasty
Last Severan; murdered by mutinous troops, ushering in the Crisis.
Wikipedia - 235–238Whole Empire235–238
- 238Whole Empire238
- 238Whole Empire238
- 238Whole Empire238
- 238Whole Empire238
- 238–244Whole Empire238–244
- 244–249Whole Empire244–249
- 249–251Whole Empire249–251
- 251Whole Empire251
- 251Whole Empire251
- 251–253Whole Empire251–253
- 251–253Whole Empire251–253
- 253Whole Empire253
- 253–260Whole Empire253–260
- 253–268Whole Empire253–268
- 268–270Whole Empire268–270
- 270Whole Empire270
- 270–275Whole Empire270–275
Aurelian
'Restorer of the World'; reunified the empire by crushing Palmyra and the Gallic Empire.
Wikipedia - 275–276Whole Empire275–276
- 276Whole Empire276
- 276–282Whole Empire276–282
- 282–283Whole Empire282–283
- 283–284Whole Empire283–284
- 283–285Whole Empire283–285
- 284–305Whole Empire284–305
Diocletian
Tetrarchy dynasty
Ended the Crisis; established the Tetrarchy and divided imperial administration East/West.
Wikipedia - 286–305, 306–308Western Empire286–305, 306–308
Maximian
Tetrarchy dynasty
Diocletian's western Augustus; abdicated, then revolted unsuccessfully.
Wikipedia - 305–306Western Empire305–306
- 305–311Eastern Empire305–311
Galerius
Tetrarchy dynasty
Eastern Augustus; issued the Edict of Toleration ending Christian persecution.
Wikipedia - 306–307Western Empire306–307
- 306–312Western Empire306–312
- 306–337Whole Empire306–337
Constantine I the Great
Constantinian dynasty
Legalised Christianity, founded Constantinople, and reunified the empire.
Wikipedia - 308–324Eastern Empire308–324
- 310–313Eastern Empire310–313
- 337–340Western Empire337–340
Constantine II
Constantinian dynasty
Ruled Gaul, Britain, Hispania; killed invading his brother Constans's territory.
Wikipedia - 337–350Western Empire337–350
Constans I
Constantinian dynasty
Ruled the West after defeating his brother; overthrown by the usurper Magnentius.
Wikipedia - 337–361Eastern Empire337–361
Constantius II
Constantinian dynasty
Ruled the East, then the whole empire from 353; promoted Arian Christianity.
Wikipedia - 350–353Western Empire350–353
- 361–363Whole Empire361–363
Julian the Apostate
Constantinian dynasty
Last pagan emperor; tried to revive traditional religion; killed in Persia.
Wikipedia - 363–364Whole Empire363–364
- 364–375Western Empire364–375
- 364–378Eastern Empire364–378
Valens
Valentinianic dynasty
Killed at Adrianople by the Goths in the empire's worst defeat in centuries.
Wikipedia - 367–383Western Empire367–383
Gratian
Valentinianic dynasty
Removed the Altar of Victory from the Senate; killed by the usurper Magnus Maximus.
Wikipedia - 375–392Western Empire375–392
Valentinian II
Valentinianic dynasty
Boy-emperor under Theodosius's protection; found dead, perhaps murdered.
Wikipedia - 379–395Whole Empire379–395
Theodosius I the Great
Theodosian dynasty
Made Nicene Christianity the state religion; last to rule the undivided empire.
Wikipedia - 383–388Western Empire383–388
- 392–394Western Empire392–394
- 395–423Western Empire395–423
- 395–408Eastern Empire395–408
- 407–411Western Empire407–411
- 408–450Eastern Empire408–450
Theodosius II
Theodosian dynasty
Built the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople and codified Roman law.
Wikipedia - 421Western Empire421
Constantius III
Theodosian dynasty
Honorius's general and brief co-emperor; died after seven months.
Wikipedia - 423–425Western Empire423–425
- 425–455Western Empire425–455
Valentinian III
Theodosian dynasty
Long, unstable reign; murdered Aetius and was assassinated in turn.
Wikipedia - 450–457Eastern Empire450–457
Marcian
Theodosian dynasty
Convened the Council of Chalcedon; refused to pay tribute to Attila.
Wikipedia - 455Western Empire455
- 455–456Western Empire455–456
- 457–461Western Empire457–461
- 457–474Eastern Empire457–474
- 461–465Western Empire461–465
- 467–472Western Empire467–472
- 472Western Empire472
- 473–474Western Empire473–474
- 474–480Western Empire474–480
Julius Nepos
Last legitimate Western emperor recognised by the East; ruled in exile in Dalmatia.
Wikipedia - 474Eastern Empire474
- 474–491Eastern Empire474–491
Zeno
Leonid dynasty
Isaurian emperor during the deposition of Romulus Augustulus in the West.
Wikipedia - 475–476Western Empire475–476
Romulus Augustulus
Boy-emperor deposed by Odoacer in 476, traditional end of the Western Empire.
Wikipedia - 475–476Eastern Empire475–476
- 491–518Eastern Empire491–518
- 518–527Eastern Empire518–527
- 527–565Eastern Empire527–565
Justinian I the Great
Justinian dynasty
Codified Roman law and reconquered Italy, Africa and parts of Spain; built Hagia Sophia.
Wikipedia - 565–578Eastern Empire565–578
- 578–582Eastern Empire578–582
Tiberius II Constantine
Justinian dynasty
Generous emperor who emptied the treasury Justinian's heirs had filled.
Wikipedia - 582–602Eastern Empire582–602
- 602–610Eastern Empire602–610
- 610–641Eastern Empire610–641
Heraclius
Heraclian dynasty
Defeated Persia in epic war, then lost Syria, Egypt, and Africa to the Arabs.
Wikipedia - 641Eastern Empire641
- 641Eastern Empire641
- 641–668Eastern Empire641–668
Constans II
Heraclian dynasty
Tried to move the capital to Sicily; murdered in his bath at Syracuse.
Wikipedia - 668–685Eastern Empire668–685
Constantine IV
Heraclian dynasty
Repelled the first Arab siege of Constantinople using Greek fire.
Wikipedia - 685–695, 705–711Eastern Empire685–695, 705–711
Justinian II
Heraclian dynasty
'Slit-Nosed' emperor: deposed, mutilated, then returned to take bloody revenge.
Wikipedia - 695–698Eastern Empire695–698
- 698–705Eastern Empire698–705
- 711–713Eastern Empire711–713
- 713–715Eastern Empire713–715
- 715–717Eastern Empire715–717
- 717–741Eastern Empire717–741
Leo III the Isaurian
Isaurian dynasty
Broke the great Arab siege of Constantinople; began Iconoclasm.
Wikipedia - 741–775Eastern Empire741–775
Constantine V
Isaurian dynasty
Brilliant general and zealous iconoclast nicknamed 'Kopronymos' by his enemies.
Wikipedia - 775–780Eastern Empire775–780
- 780–797Eastern Empire780–797
- 797–802Eastern Empire797–802
Irene of Athens
Isaurian dynasty
First woman to rule Byzantium in her own right; restored icon veneration.
Wikipedia - 802–811Eastern Empire802–811
Nikephoros I
Finance minister-turned-emperor; killed by the Bulgar khan Krum, who used his skull as a cup.
Wikipedia - 811Eastern Empire811
- 811–813Eastern Empire811–813
- 813–820Eastern Empire813–820
- 820–829Eastern Empire820–829
- 829–842Eastern Empire829–842
- 842–867Eastern Empire842–867
Michael III
Amorian dynasty
'The Drunkard'; oversaw the end of iconoclasm and the Cyrillic mission.
Wikipedia - 867–886Eastern Empire867–886
Basil I the Macedonian
Macedonian dynasty
Murdered his way to the throne and founded Byzantium's golden-age dynasty.
Wikipedia - 886–912Eastern Empire886–912
Leo VI the Wise
Macedonian dynasty
Scholar-emperor who codified Byzantine law in the Basilika.
Wikipedia - 912–913Eastern Empire912–913
- 913–959Eastern Empire913–959
Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos
Macedonian dynasty
Scholar-emperor whose books preserve much of what we know of Byzantine ceremony.
Wikipedia - 920–944Eastern Empire920–944
Romanos I Lekapenos
Macedonian dynasty
Admiral who became senior co-emperor; deposed by his own sons.
Wikipedia - 959–963Eastern Empire959–963
- 963–969Eastern Empire963–969
Nikephoros II Phokas
Macedonian dynasty
'Pale Death of the Saracens'; reconquered Cyprus and Antioch; murdered in bed.
Wikipedia - 969–976Eastern Empire969–976
- 976–1025Eastern Empire976–1025
Basil II the Bulgar-Slayer
Macedonian dynasty
Greatest medieval Byzantine emperor; annihilated Bulgaria and doubled the empire's revenue.
Wikipedia - 1025–1028Eastern Empire1025–1028
Constantine VIII
Macedonian dynasty
Pleasure-loving brother of Basil II; squandered the surplus treasury.
Wikipedia - 1028–1034Eastern Empire1028–1034
Romanos III Argyros
Macedonian dynasty
Husband of Zoë; probably drowned in the bath at her order.
Wikipedia - 1034–1041Eastern Empire1034–1041
Michael IV the Paphlagonian
Macedonian dynasty
Epileptic ex-money-changer who reigned as Zoë's second husband.
Wikipedia - 1041–1042Eastern Empire1041–1042
Michael V Kalaphates
Macedonian dynasty
Tried to depose his adoptive mother Zoë; blinded by a Constantinople mob.
Wikipedia - 1042Eastern Empire1042
Zoë Porphyrogenita
Macedonian dynasty
Empress regnant who ruled jointly with her sister Theodora and three husbands.
Wikipedia - 1042, 1055–1056Eastern Empire1042, 1055–1056
Theodora Porphyrogenita
Macedonian dynasty
Last of the Macedonian dynasty; ruled as sole empress in old age.
Wikipedia - 1042–1055Eastern Empire1042–1055
- 1056–1057Eastern Empire1056–1057
- 1057–1059Eastern Empire1057–1059
- 1059–1067Eastern Empire1059–1067
Constantine X Doukas
Doukid dynasty
Civil aristocrat whose neglect of the army left the empire exposed to the Turks.
Wikipedia - 1068–1071Eastern Empire1068–1071
Romanos IV Diogenes
Doukid dynasty
Captured by the Seljuks at the catastrophic Battle of Manzikert.
Wikipedia - 1071–1078Eastern Empire1071–1078
Michael VII Doukas
Doukid dynasty
Bookish emperor under whom Anatolia was overrun by the Turks.
Wikipedia - 1078–1081Eastern Empire1078–1081
- 1081–1118Eastern Empire1081–1118
Alexios I Komnenos
Komnenian dynasty
Stabilised a dying empire and called for the help that became the First Crusade.
Wikipedia - 1118–1143Eastern Empire1118–1143
John II Komnenos
Komnenian dynasty
Beloved 'John the Good'; recovered much of Anatolia from the Turks.
Wikipedia - 1143–1180Eastern Empire1143–1180
Manuel I Komnenos
Komnenian dynasty
Last great Komnenian; defeat at Myriokephalon ended Byzantine recovery.
Wikipedia - 1180–1183Eastern Empire1180–1183
- 1183–1185Eastern Empire1183–1185
Andronikos I Komnenos
Komnenian dynasty
Tyrant who terrorised the aristocracy; torn apart by a Constantinople mob.
Wikipedia - 1185–1195, 1203–1204Eastern Empire1185–1195, 1203–1204
Isaac II Angelos
Angelid dynasty
Weak emperor deposed and blinded; restored by the Fourth Crusade.
Wikipedia - 1195–1203Eastern Empire1195–1203
Alexios III Angelos
Angelid dynasty
Fled when the Fourth Crusade reached the walls of Constantinople.
Wikipedia - 1203–1204Eastern Empire1203–1204
Alexios IV Angelos
Angelid dynasty
Co-emperor who could not pay the Crusaders he had invited; strangled.
Wikipedia - 1204Eastern Empire1204
Alexios V Doukas 'Mourtzouphlos'
Tried to defend Constantinople against the Fourth Crusade; blinded after capture.
Wikipedia - 1205–1222Eastern Empire1205–1222
Theodore I Laskaris
Laskarid (Nicaea) dynasty
Founded the Empire of Nicaea, the principal Byzantine successor state.
Wikipedia - 1222–1254Eastern Empire1222–1254
John III Doukas Vatatzes
Laskarid (Nicaea) dynasty
Brilliant ruler who recovered much of the Balkans and Asia Minor.
Wikipedia - 1254–1258Eastern Empire1254–1258
- 1258–1261Eastern Empire1258–1261
John IV Laskaris
Laskarid (Nicaea) dynasty
Boy-emperor blinded by Michael Palaiologos on his eleventh birthday.
Wikipedia - 1259–1282Eastern Empire1259–1282
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Palaiologan dynasty
Recaptured Constantinople in 1261; founded the last Byzantine dynasty.
Wikipedia - 1282–1328Eastern Empire1282–1328
Andronikos II Palaiologos
Palaiologan dynasty
Long reign of cultural flowering and military collapse before the Ottomans.
Wikipedia - 1294–1320Eastern Empire1294–1320
Michael IX Palaiologos
Palaiologan dynasty
Co-emperor with his father; died of grief after his son's killing.
Wikipedia - 1328–1341Eastern Empire1328–1341
Andronikos III Palaiologos
Palaiologan dynasty
Energetic emperor who came to power through civil war with his grandfather.
Wikipedia - 1341–1391Eastern Empire1341–1391
John V Palaiologos
Palaiologan dynasty
Long, troubled reign of civil wars and Ottoman vassalage.
Wikipedia - 1347–1354Eastern Empire1347–1354
- 1376–1379Eastern Empire1376–1379
Andronikos IV Palaiologos
Palaiologan dynasty
Briefly usurped the throne from his father John V.
Wikipedia - 1390Eastern Empire1390
John VII Palaiologos
Palaiologan dynasty
Reigned five months as a usurper before being ejected.
Wikipedia - 1391–1425Eastern Empire1391–1425
Manuel II Palaiologos
Palaiologan dynasty
Travelled Western Europe begging for aid against the Ottomans.
Wikipedia - 1425–1448Eastern Empire1425–1448
John VIII Palaiologos
Palaiologan dynasty
Negotiated the Union of Florence in a desperate bid for Western help.
Wikipedia - 1449–1453Eastern Empire1449–1453
Constantine XI Palaiologos
Palaiologan dynasty
Last Roman emperor; died sword in hand as Constantinople fell to Mehmed II.
Wikipedia