List of fictional Romans

For individual Roman fiction, see Fiction set in the Roman empire.

This article is a list of fictional characters in written fiction and other forms of media set during the period of the Roman Republic and/or the Roman Empire. This list is subcategorised by the position of each character - whether they are actual Roman citizens, Roman provincials (non-Romans who were not actual slaves) or slaves.

Roman citizens

• Arcturus - a physician in the Roman army with the rank of centurion, and also the personal physician of Gnaeus Julius Agricola. He appears as the central character in a series of novels by Kelli Stanley.
• Ammonia - the promiscuous wife of Ludicrus Sextus in the British TV series Up Pompeii! and its spinoff film. She was portrayed by Elizabeth Larner in the original TV series and the spinoff Further Up Pompeii. In the 1971 film, she was portrayed by Barbara Murray.
• Ascaris - a mute assassin responsible for the death of the lyre-player Maximus Pettulian, and later sent to murder The Doctor in the Doctor Who story The Romans. He was played by Barry Jackson.
• Aulus - the garrison surgeon stationed at Isca Dumnoniorum during the events of The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Aulus Flaccus - a character in the Nova Roma series by John Maddox Roberts, set in an alternate world in which the Romans were defeated by Hannibal. Aulus Flaccus is one of the few surviving Romans left after their expulsion from Italy, and acts as a spy to monitor the Carthaginians.
• Aulus Paulinus - the weak and incompetent governor of Britain depicted by Jimmy Mulville in the TV series Chelmsford 123.
• Bassianus - the younger brother of Emperor Saturninus in Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare, in which he is betrothed to Titus' only daughter, Lavinia Andronica.
• Biggus Diccus - a Roman general who appeared in Monty Python's Life of Brian as a friend of Pontius Pilate. He was portrayed by Graham Chapman with a thick lisp.
• Bilious - the name of two captains in the Roman army, both of them in works by writer Talbot Rothwell. The first, portrayed by David Davenport, was former bodyguard to Julius Caesar in Carry On Cleo. The second, portrayed by Lance Percival, was a conspirator against Emperor Nero in the 1971 film Up Pompeii.
• Burbo - a sadistic profiteer living in Pompeii with his blind slave Nydia in The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
• Casca Rufio Longinus - a Roman soldier who presumably killed Jesus Christ during his crucifixion in Casca, the Eternal Soldier.
• Centurion Blaccadicus - an ancestor of Edmund Blackadder serving on Hadrian's Wall in Blackadder: Back & Forth, who was forced into a fight against the Caledonians before he could be recalled to Rome. The outcome of the battle is unclear. Like all Blackadders, he was portrayed by Rowan Atkinson.
• Centurion Britannus - one of the multiple versions of the superhero Captain Britain in the Marvel Comics universe, who dwells on a world where the Roman Empire is still active. His secret identity was revealed in his debut appearance to have been Thracius Scipio Magnus, and was presumably killed alongside other members of the Captain Britain Corps in X-Men: Die by the Sword.
• Comicus - a stand-up philosopher from Vesuvius who was forced to leave Rome for Judaea after he insulted the Emperor Nero in History of the World, Part I. He was portrayed by Mel Brooks.
• Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger - a fictional member of the Caecilius Metellus family in the SPQR novels by John Maddox Roberts. Decius has had various positions in Roman politics, but often finds himself working as an amateur detective.
• Didius - a scheming slave trader not above kidnapping others to sell at his slave market in the Doctor Who story The Romans. He was portrayed by Nicholas Evans.
• Erotica - the daughter of Ludicrus Sextus in the comedy series Up Pompeii! and its spinoff film. She was portrayed by Georgina Moon in the TV series and by Madeline Smith in the film adaptation.
• Fannius Synistor - one of the central characters of the part-documentary book Pompeii: The Living City by Alex Butterworth and Ray Laurence. Synistor was a wealthy landowner with a large villa outside of Pompeii, whose land was tended to by slaves. Synistor shares his name with the real-life Villa of P. Fannius Synistor in Boscoreale near Pompeii.
• Fulvius - a Roman poet residing in Pompeii at the time of its destruction in The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
• Fulvius Licinius - Commander of the 3rd Fretencis Cohort at Beersheba in The Silver Branch by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Georgius - the fictional Consul of Roman Britain who appeared in Blackadder: Back & Forth. He appears to be an ancestor of George, although this is not made clear in the canon. He was played by Hugh Laurie.
• Grasientus - the put-upon brother-in-law of Aulus Paulinus, for whom he performs menial tasks in the series Chelmsford 123, in which he was portrayed by Philip Pope.
• Guern - a former centurion of the Legio IX Hispana who survived a massacre of the legion by the Scots and now resides in Scotland as a hunter in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Judah Ben Hur - a Jew who gains Roman citizenship in Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ.
• Lavinia Andronica - the only daughter of Titus Andronicus in the play of the same name, in which she is betrothed to Bassianus, brother of Emperor Saturninus.
• Legionary Baldricus - a Roman footsoldier and ancestor of Baldrick seen on Hadrian's Wall in Blackadder: Back & Forth. Like all Baldricks, he was portrayed by Tony Robinson.
• Lepidus - an hedonistic yet introspective nobleman residing in Pompeii in The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
• Lucius Andronicus - eldest son of Titus Andronicus in the play of the same name by William Shakespeare, in which he becomes Emperor of Rome after assassinating Emperor Saturninus.
• Lucius Tiberius/Hiberius - fictional Western Roman Emperor and antagonist of King Arthur in some versions of Arthurian legend, notably the Historia Regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth, and Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory.
• Lucius Urbanus - an inexperienced charioteer with stables in Calleva Atrebatum in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Ludicrus Sextus - an elderly senator of Pompeii featured in the British comedy series Up Pompeii!, and the spin-off film of the same name. He was portrayed by Max Adrian in the first series, then by Wallas Eaton in the second series, and finally by Sir Michael Hordern in the film adaptation.
• Marcellius Gallio - a Roman tribune featured in The Robe. In the film, Gallio is sent to Judaea by a young Caligula to aid Pontius Pilate in the persecution of the Christians, only to become a Christian himself. He was played by Richard Burton.
• Marcus Aleus - a DC Comics character who was a Roman centurion abducted by aliens, returning to Earth in the present day and becoming a superhero under the name of Alpha Centurion. In an alternate universe, he took Superman's position as the hero of Metropolis. In the main DC Universe, he worked alongside Superman, and was briefly employed by Lexcorp.
• Marcus Andronicus - Tribune of the People in ancient Rome and brother of Titus Andronicus in the play of the same name.
• Marcus Attilius - the fictional aquarius responsible for the maintenance of the Aqua Augusta in the Robert Harris novel Pompeii.
• Marcus Cornelius Scipio - the main character in the Nova Roma series by John Maddox Roberts, set in an alternate world where Hannibal conquered Rome, and in which Scipio acts as a spy against the Carthaginian forces.
• Marcus Didius Falco - a "private informer" (i.e. private detective) in the Falco novels by Lindsey Davis. Not to be confused with the genuine Quintus Pompeius Falco or his family.
• Marcus Flavius Aquila - the protagonist of the 1954 novel The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff, who journeys beyond Hadrian's Wall into Scotland to retrieve the lost eagle of the Legio IX Hispana. He was portrayed by Anthony Higgins in the 1977 TV adaptation and by Channing Tatum in the 2011 film adaptation.
• Marcus Vindictus - a general in the Roman army in History of the World, Part I who had arrived back in Rome after a victory over the Spartans at Crete (first mentioned comically as "the cretins at Sparta"). He was portrayed by Shecky Greene.
• Marcus Vinicius - the male lead of the 1951 epic, Quo Vadis. Vinicius was a Roman commander who fought against the Christians on behalf of Nero, only to fall in love with a Christian woman. He was played by Robert Taylor.
• Martius Andronicus - one of the sons of Titus Andronicus in the play of the same name by William Shakespeare.
• Maximus Pettulian - a lyre-player who was part of a plot to assassinate Emperor Nero, and for this was executed. His identity was briefly taken by The Doctor in the Doctor Who story The Romans. Maximus Pettulian was portrayed by Bart Allison.
• Melchicus - a Roman general seen in Blackadder: Back & Forth who was ordering his troops to withdraw from Hadrian's Wall when they were attacked by the Caledonians. Although not stated on-screen, he appears to be an ancestor of the Melchetts. He was played by Stephen Fry.
• Miriam - a Vestal virgin who lived in Nero-era Rome in History of the World, Part I, and fled to Judaea with Comicus. She was portrayed by Mary-Margaret Humes.
• Captain Mucus - a Roman captain serving under Marcus Vindictus in History of the World, Part I. His name is a pun on Mucous, and he was played by Rudy De Luca.
• Mutius Andronicus - one of the sons of Titus Andronicus in the play of the same name by William Shakespeare.
• Mutius Urbanus - Commandant of the garrison of Rutupiae in The Silver Branch by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Nausius - the effeminate son of Ludicrus Sextus and Ammonia in the TV series Up Pompeii! and its 1971 film adaptation. In the original TV series and the spinoff Further Up Pompeii, he was portrayed by Kerry Gardner. In the 1971 film, he was portrayed by Royce Mills.
• Empress Nympho - the fictional wife of Emperor Nero in History of the World, Part I. Her name is a reference to her apparent Nymphomania. She was portrayed by Madeline Kahn.
• Octavius Tarsus - a Roman mercenary who appears in two episodes of Spartacus: Vengeance.
• Pansa - the hedonistic and slothful aedile of Pompeii in The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
• Prosperus Maximus - the fictional Consul of Pompeii who appeared in the 1971 film Up Pompeii, but not the original TV series. Prosperus is the ringleader of an attempt to assassinate Emperor Nero whilst in Pompeii, although his plan suffers several fallbacks caused by the slave Lurcio. He was played by Bill Fraser.
• Quintus Andronicus - one of the sons of Titus Andronicus in the play of the same name by William Shakespeare.
• Quintus Dias - a centurion serving with the Legio IX Hispana at Inchtuthil during the events of the 2010 film Centurion. He was portrayed by Michael Fassbender.
• Rory Williams - a centurion in 102 AD, though technically a plastic duplicate, in the Doctor Who episode The Pandorica Opens.
• Saturninus - the fictional Emperor of Rome in the William Shakespeare play Titus Andronicus, in which he is assassinated by Titus' son, Lucius Andronicus.
• Sevcheria - a scheming slave trader not above kidnapping others to sell at his slave market in the Doctor Who story The Romans. He was played by Derek Sydney.
• Swiftus Lazarus - a theatrical agent who appeared in History of the World, Part I, and accompanied Comicus when he fled to Judaea. He was played by Ron Carey.
• Tavius - a kindly courtier to Emperor Nero and a secret Christian featured in the Doctor Who story The Romans. He was played by Michael Peake.
• Titus Andronicus - the titular character in William Shakespeare's play Titus Andronicus, in which he is announced as the next Emperor of Rome, and swears a vendetta against the Goths during his transition from general to Emperor. In the 1999 film Titus, he was portrayed by Anthony Hopkins.
• Titus Flavius Virilus - the fictional Commander of the Legio IX Hispana in the 2010 film Centurion. He was portrayed by Dominic West.
• Titus Norbanus - a character in the Nova Roma series by John Maddox Roberts, in which he acts as a spy against Carthaginian forces occupying Italy.
• Tribune Servius Placidus - a pompous Roman officer residing in Calleva Atrebatum and later relocated to Eboracum in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Tullus Lepidus - the greedy and arrogant uncle-in-law of Marcus Flavius Aquila with a strong dislike for his nephew-in-law in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Uncle Aquila - the kindly uncle of Marcus Flavius Aquila who works as a magistrate in Calleva Atrebatum in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Voluptua - the beautiful-yet-scheming wife of Prosperus Maximus in the 1971 film Up Pompeii. She was portrayed by Julie Ege.

Roman provincials

• Aaron - the Moorish lover of Queen Tamora in the tragic play Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare.
• Alarbus - son of Queen Tamora and Prince of the Goths in the William Shakespeare tragedy Titus Andronicus.
• Apaecides - the Athenian ward of Arbaces who moves to Pompeii and dies there in The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
• Arbaces - a scheming Egyptian who acts as the priest of the Temple of Isis at Pompeii in The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
• Arturius Castus - the commander of the garrison at Carlisle in the film King Arthur.
• Asterix - a Gaulish warrior in the Asterix comics by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. While his village is strictly speaking the one place in Gaul that still resist the Empire, he accepts provincial status when convenient, as in Asterix at the Olympic Games.
• Badvoc - the cunning and scheming chieftain of the Trinovantes in the TV series Chelmsford 123, in which he was portrayed by Rory McGrath.
• Blag - an oafish and clumsy warrior of the Trinovantes featured in the TV series Chelmsford 123, in which he was portrayed by Howard Lew Lewis.
• Brian Cohen of Nazareth - the titular character in the controversial film Monty Python's Life of Brian, who was born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth at the time of Jesus Christ, and was later executed by Crucifixion. He was portrayed by Graham Chapman.
• Calenus - the Egyptian flamen of the Cult of Isis in Pompeii in The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
• Chiron - son of Queen Tamora and Prince of the Goths in the William Shakespeare tragedy Titus Andronicus.
• Claudius Hieronimianus - the Egyptian legate of Legio VI Victrix and friend of Marcus Flavius Aquila in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Colin - a member of the anti-Roman People's Front of Judaea in Monty Python's Life of Brian, in which he was portrayed by Terry Jones.
• Cottia - the Iceni-descended niece of Kaeso and Valaria and love-interest of Marcus Flavius Aquila in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Demetrius - son of Queen Tamora and Prince of the Goths in the William Shakespeare tragedy Titus Andronicus.
• Dergdian - the Chief of the Epidii in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Desdemona - the Egyptian handmaiden of Cleopatra in The Morecambe and Wise Show, in which she was portrayed by Ann Hamilton.
• Diana - a Christian woman living in Judaea in The Robe, who falls in love with Marcellius Gallio and convinces him to become a Christian. She was played by Jean Simmons.
• Etain - a warrior of the Brigantes seeking revenge against the Romans for killing her family in the 2010 film Centurion. She was played by Olga Kurylenko.
• Fionhula - the Queen of the Epidii and wife of the chieftain Dergdian in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Francis - a member of the anti-Roman People's Front of Judaea in Monty Python's Life of Brian, in which he was portrayed by Michael Palin.
• Gargamadua - a member of the Trinovantes and the lover of its chieftain, Badvoc, in the TV series Chelmsford 123, in which she was portrayed by Erika Hoffman.
• Gault - a member of the Epidii who is a fisherman by trade and is responsible for recovering the standard of the Legio IX Hispana after it is stolen by Marcus Flavius Aquila in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• General Maximus Decimus Meridius - the main character of the film Gladiator. A Hispano-Roman general serving in Germania who is sold into slavery. His home is near Emerita Augusta in Lusitania. He was portrayed by Russell Crowe.
• Geoffrey - a member of the anti-Roman People's Front of Judaea in Monty Python's Life of Brian, in which he was portrayed by Terry Gilliam.
• Gershon - a Jewish trader living in Rome in the television adaptation of I, Claudius. He was played by George Pravda.
• Gorlacon - the Chief of the Picts in the 2010 film Centurion. He was portrayed by Ulrich Thomsen.
• Guinhumara - a British woman, and the wife of the charioteer Cradoc in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Ione - an Athenian woman and sister of Apaecides who accompanies him to Pompeii in The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer Lytton.
• Isoricus - the fictional leader of a band of Cilician pirates in Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of Spartacus. He is voiced by Jimmy Helms.
• Judith Iscariot - a member of the anti-Roman People's Front of Judaea and the love-interest of Brian Cohen of Nazareth in Monty Python's Life of Brian, in which she was portrayed by Sue Jones-Davies.
• Kaeso - a Romanised Briton who works as a magistrate in Calleva Atrebatum with his wife Valaria and his niece Cottia in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Liathan - a prince of the Epidii who befriends the Roman Marcus Flavius Aquila in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Lygia - one of the protagonists of the 1951 film Quo Vadis, and the object of the affections of Marcus Vinicius (see above). Lygia is the adopted daughter of a retired Roman general, and is persecuted by Nero for her Christian beliefs. She was played by Deborah Kerr.
• Marcus Britannicus - a comic-book hero who was a native Briton who served in the Roman auxilia in life, but returned to fight in the modern-day (the 1960s) as a ghost. He is not to be confused with Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, the son of Claudius who shares his surname with this character.
• Matthias - an elderly member of the anti-Roman People's Front of Judaea, who was pardoned for blasphemy after the High Priest at his execution was stoned to death in Monty Python's Life of Brian. He was portrayed by John Young.
• Mungo - the able assistant of Badvoc with designs upon the throne of the Trinovantes in the TV series Chelmsford 123, in which he was portrayed by Neil Pearson.
• Murna - a woman living in lowland Scotland and married to the Roman-born Guern in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Olinthus - a native of Nazareth who travels to Pompeii to promote Christianity in The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
• Reg - the leader of the anti-Roman People's Front of Judaea in Monty Python's Life of Brian, in which he was portrayed by John Cleese.
• Rufrius Galarius - a Spaniard who was once a military surgeon stationed at Durnovaria in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Senna Pod - a British cavewoman, and wife of Hengist Pod in the film Carry On Cleo, in which she survives being eaten by a Brontosaurus that killed her mother, and later escapes enslavement by the Romans, unlike her husband. She was portrayed by Sheila Hancock.
• Serapion - a mixed-race apothecary of both Egyptian and British heritage who runs a popular shop in Rutupiae in The Silver Branch by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Sosages - the muscular-yet-mute bodyguard of Cleopatra VII in the British film Carry On Cleo, in which he was portrayed by Tom Clegg in blackface.
• Stan - a member of the anti-Roman People's Front of Judaea who suffers from womb envy and prefers the name Loretta over his original name in Monty Python's Life of Brian. He was portrayed by Eric Idle.
• Tamora - Queen of the Goths in the William Shakespeare play Titus Andronicus, in which she is taken prisoner by Titus, forcibly married to Emperor Saturninus and later assassinated by Titus. In the 1999 film adaptation, she was portrayed by Jessica Lange.
• Tradui - a member of the Epidii and maternal grandfather of the chieftain of Dergdian, with strong views concerning Queen Fionhula and the Romans in general. He appears in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Valaria - a British woman living with her husband Kaeso in Calleva Atrebatum in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Wolfbane - an eccentric and scheming member of the Trinovantes and friend of its chieftain, Badvoc, in the TV series Chelmsford 123, in which he was portrayed by Geoffrey McGivern.

Roman slaves

• Demetrius - a Greek slave who was bought by Marcellius Gallio in The Robe, and later joined the Christian movement when in Judaea. His faith was later tested in the sequel film Demetrius and the Gladiators. In both films, he was played by Victor Mature.
• Delos - a galley slave who befriends and then is forced into combat with the captive Ian Chesterton in the Doctor Who story The Romans. He was played by Peter Diamond, who was also the fight arranger on this and several other Doctor Who stories.
• Esca Mac Cunoval - a warrior of the Brigantes who was sold into slavery at Calleva Atrebatum for showing cowardice during a gladiatoral battle, and later purchased by Marcus Flavius Aquila in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. He was portrayed by Christian Rodska in the 1977 TV adaptation and by Jamie Bell in the 2011 film adaptation.
• Glaucus - a Greek slave from Athens who resided in Pompeii and converted to Christianity in the 1834 novel The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
• Hengist Pod - a slave captured during Caesar's expedition to Britain in Carry On Cleo, only to become the personal bodyguard of Julius Caesar. He was portrayed by Kenneth Connor.
• Horsa - a British hunter in Carry On Cleo captured by the Romans during Caesar's expedition to Britain who eventually escaped and fled back to Britain. He was portrayed by Jim Dale.
• Josephus - a streetwise slave from Ethiopia who fled to Judaea with Comicus after displeasing Emperor Nero in History of the World, Part I. His name is a comic reference to the real-life Jewish historian Josephus. He was portrayed by Gregory Hines.
• Lurcio - the main protagonist of the comedy series Up Pompeii!, who was a slave to Ludicrus Sextus in pre-eruption Pompeii. He was portrayed in all mediums by Frankie Howerd.
• Marcipor - a house slave to Uncle Aquila on his estate in Calleva Atrebatum in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Nydia - a blind flower-girl from Thessaly who resided in Pompeii with her sadistic masters Burbo and Stratonice, and was aided by the slave Glaucus in The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
• Palene - the fictional lover of Spartacus in Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of Spartacus, who was captured in Thrace with Spartacus and forced to work in the kitchens of the gladiator school in Capua. She was portrayed by Catherine Zeta-Jones.
• Phillida - a slave recruited as a dancing-girl in Pompeii during the events of The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
• Pseudolus - the protagonist of the farcical Broadway musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum who wiles his way to freedom through a series of improbable schemes. He was portrayed by Zero Mostel in both the original Broadway run and the film adaptation.
• Scrubba - a slave to Ludicrus Sextus who appeared in the 1971 film Up Pompeii, but not in the original TV series. Scrubba's background is unknown, but she is portrayed as a servant in the kitchens who held amorous feelings towards Lurcio. She was portrayed by Adrienne Posta.
• Sassticca - a kitchen slave working on the estate of Uncle Aquila in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Sollius - The Slave Detective, hero of a long series of detective stories by Wallace Nichols.
• Stephanos - a Greek slave in the service of Uncle Aquila in The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.
• Varinia - The fictional wife of Spartacus in the Stanley Kubrick film Spartacus, portrayed by Jean Simmons, and by Rhona Mitra in the 2004 film adaptation.