User:Tintero21/List of Byzantine emperors

For Roman emperors before Constantine I, see List of Roman emperors.

A statue of Constantine XI (r.  1449–1453), the last emperor.

This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Byzantine Empire (or the Eastern Roman Empire), to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised sovereign authority are included, to the exclusion of junior co-emperors (symbasileis) who never attained the status of sole or senior ruler, as well as of the various usurpers or rebels who claimed the imperial title.

The following list starts with Constantine I the Great, the first Christian emperor, who rebuilt the city of Byzantium as an imperial capital, Constantinople, and who was regarded by the later emperors as the model ruler. It was under Constantine that the major characteristics of what is considered the Byzantine state emerged: a Roman polity centered at Constantinople and culturally dominated by the Greek East, with Christianity as the state religion.

The Byzantine Empire was the direct legal continuation of the eastern half of the Roman Empire following the division of the Roman Empire in 395. Emperors listed below up to Theodosius I in 395 were sole or joint rulers of the entire Roman Empire. The Western Roman Empire continued until 476. Byzantine emperors considered themselves to be rightful Roman emperors in direct succession from Augustus; the term "Byzantine" was coined by Western historiography only in the 16th century. The use of the title "Roman Emperor" by those ruling from Constantinople was not contested until after the Papal coronation of the Frankish Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor (25 December 800), done partly in response to the Byzantine coronation of Empress Irene, whose claim, as a woman, was not recognized by Pope Leo III.

The title of all Emperors preceding Heraclius was officially "Augustus", although other titles such as Dominus were also used. Their names were preceded by Imperator Caesar and followed by Augustus. Following Heraclius, the title commonly became the Greek Basileus (Gr. Βασιλεύς), which had formerly meant sovereign, though Augustus continued to be used in a reduced capacity. Following the establishment of the rival Holy Roman Empire in Western Europe, the title "Autokrator" (Gr. Αὐτοκράτωρ) was increasingly used. In later centuries, the Emperor could be referred to by Western Christians as the "Emperor of the Greeks". Towards the end of the Empire, the standard imperial formula of the Byzantine ruler was "[Emperor's name] in Christ, Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans" (cf. Ῥωμαῖοι and Rûm).

In the medieval period, dynasties were common, but the principle of hereditary succession was never formalized in the Empire, and hereditary succession was a custom rather than an inviolable principle.

Constantinian dynasty (306–363)

See also: Constantinian dynasty

Portrait	Name	Reign	Acclamatio	Notes	Ref.
	Constantine I "the Great" Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ Μέγας Fl. Valerius Constantinus	19 September 324 – 22 May 337	25 July 305 as augustus	Son of emperor Constantius I and St. Helena Sole emperor after defeating Licinius at the Battle of Chrysopolis Assisted the First Council of Nicaea in 20 May–19 July 325 Re-founded Byzantium as Constantinople in 330 Died of natural causes at age 65
	Constantius II Κωνστάντιος Fl. Iulius Constantius	22 May 337 – 3 November 361	8 November 324 caesar 9 September 337 augustus	Second son of Constantine I and Fausta Ruled the Eastern provinces, then the whole Empire after 353 A supporter of Arianism, his reign saw various religious conflicts Built the original church of Hagia Sophia Died of natural causes, aged 44, while campaigning against Julian
	Julian "the Apostate" Ἰουλιανὸς ὁ Ἀποστάτης Fl. Claudius Iulianus	3 November 361 – 26 June 363	c. February 361	Grandson of Constantius I and cousin of Constantius II Proclaimed by his army in Gaul in opposition to Constantius II Killed during a campaign against Sassanid Persia, aged 32[1]
	Jovian Ἰοβιανός Claudius Iovianus	28 June 363 – 17 February 364	–	Elected by the army upon Julian's death Died on journey back to Constantinople

Valentinianic dynasty (364–379)

See also: Valentinianic dynasty

Portrait	Name	Reign	Acclamatio	Notes	Ref.
	Valentinian I (the Angry) Οὐαλεντινιανός Valentinianus	25 February – 28 March 364	–	Born in 321, elected by the army upon Jovian's death. Appointed Valens as ruler of the East while he ruled over the West Died of a stroke while yelling at envoys on 17 November 375
	Valens Οὐάλης, Iulius Valens	28 March 364 – 9 August 378	–	Born c. 328, appointed Emperor of the East by his elder brother Killed at the Battle of Adrianople
	Gratian Γρατιανός, Gratianus	9 August 378 – 19 January 379	–	Born on 18 April/23 May 359, son of Valentinian I Emperor of the West since 24 August 367, inherited the East in 378 and later appointed Theodosius I as Emperor of the East. Assassinated on 25 August 383 by Magnus Maximus.

Theodosian dynasty (379–457)

See also: Theodosian dynasty

Portrait	Name	Reign	Coronation	Notes	Ref.
	Theodosius I "the Great" Θεοδόσιος ὁ Μέγας	19 January 379 – 17 January 395	–	Born on 11 January 347, in Spain. Brother-in-law of Gratian, who appointed him as emperor of the East. He reunited the whole Empire after defeating Eugenius at the Battle of the Frigidus on 6 September 394. Last emperor to rule the whole Empire
	Arcadius Ἀρκάδιος	17 January 395 – 1 May 408	16 January 383	Born in 377/378, eldest son of Theodosius I
	Anthemius Ανθέμιος	1 May 408 – 414
	Pulcheria Πουλχερία	4 July 414 – 441	4 July 414 as augusta
	Theodosius II Θεοδόσιος	1 May 408 – 28 July 450	10 January 402	Born on 10 April 401, the only son of Arcadius Succeeded upon the death of his father. As a minor, the praetorian prefect Anthemius was regent in 408–414. Died in a riding accident.
	Marcian Μαρκιανός, Marcianus	25 August 450 – 27 January 457	25 August 450	Born in 396. A soldier and politician. Became emperor after being wed by the Augusta Pulcheria, sister of Theodosius II, following the latter's death. Died of gangrene.

Leonid dynasty (457–518)

See also: Leonid dynasty

Portrait	Name	Reign	Coronation	Notes	Ref.
	Leo I "the Great" and "the Butcher" Λέων ὁ Μέγας / Μακέλλης	7 February 457 – 18 January 474	7 February 457 by Patriarch Anatolius
	Leo II "the Little" Λέων ὁ μικρός	18 January – November 474	17 November 473 by Acacius
	Zeno Ζήνων (Ταρασισ)	November 474 – 9 April 491	29 January 473 by Acacius
	Basiliscus Βασιλίσκος	9 January 475 – August 476	12 January 475 by Acacius
	Anastasius I "Dicorus" Ἀναστάσιος ὁ Δίκορος	11 April 491 – 9 July 518	11 April 475 by Euphemius

Justinian dynasty (518–602)

See also: Byzantine Empire under the Justinian dynasty

Portrait	Name	Reign	Coronation	Notes	Ref.
	Justin I Ἰουστῖνος, Iustinus	9 July 518 – 1 August 527	10 July 518 by Patriarch John II	Born c. 450 at Bederiana, Dardania, general of the Excubitors Elected by army and people upon the death of Anastasius I Died of natural causes
	Justinian I "the Great" Ἰουστινιανὸς ὁ Μέγας Fl. Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus	1 August 527 – 14 November 565	1 April 527 by Epiphanius	Born in 482/483 at Tauresium, Macedonia. Nephew of Justin I Restored much of the western territories Responsible for the trascendental Corpus Juris Civilis Died of natural causes
	Justin II Ἰουστῖνος, Iustinus	14 November 565 – 5 October 578	15 November 565 by John III
	Sofia Σοφία	November 573 – 26 September 578
	Tiberius II Constantine Τιβέριος Κωνσταντῖνος Fl. Tiberius Constantinus	5 October 578 – 14 August 582	26 September 578 by Eutychius
	Maurice Tiberius Μαυρίκιος Τιβέριος Fl. Mauricius Tiberius	14 August 582 – 27 November 602	13 August 582 by John IV
	Phocas "the Tyrant" Φωκᾶς, Focas	27 November 602 – 5 October 610	23 November 582 by John IV

Heraclian dynasty (610–695)

See also: Byzantine Empire under the Heraclian dynasty

Portrait	Name	Reign	Coronation	Notes	Ref.
	Herakleios I Ἡράκλειος	5 October 610 – 11 February 641	5 October 610 by Sergius I
	Martina Μαρτίνα	11 February 641 – 5 November 641	c. 613
	Constantine III Herakleios Ἡράκλειος Κωνσταντῖνος Heraclius Constantinus	11 February – 25 May 641	22 January 613 by Sergius I
	Herakleios II "the Little Herakleios" Ἡράκλειος (Ἡρακλεωνᾶς) Constantinus Heraclius	25 May 641 – 5 November 641	4 July 638 by Sergius I
	Constans II "Constantine the Bearded" Κώνστας ὁ Πωγωνᾶτος Heraclius Constantinus	5 November 641 – 15 July 668	September 641 by Paul II
	Constantine IV "the Young" Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ νέος	September 668 – 10 July 685	13 April 654 by Pyrrhus
	Justinian II "the Slit-nosed" Ἰουστινιανὸς ὁ Ῥινότμητος	10 July 685 – 695	681 / 682

See also

• Family tree of the Byzantine emperors
• List of Roman emperors
• List of Trapezuntine emperors
• List of Roman usurpers
• List of Byzantine usurpers
• Succession to the Byzantine Empire
• List of Roman and Byzantine empresses
• List of Byzantine emperors of Armenian origin
• Family tree of the Roman emperors
• History of the Byzantine Empire

Main bibliography

• Barnes, Timothy D. (1982). The New Empire of Diocletian and Constantine. Harvard: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-28066-0.
• Grant, Michael (1985). The Roman Emperors: A Biographical Guide to the Rulers of Imperial Rome, 31 BC–AD 476. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. ISBN 0-684-18388-9.
• Grierson, Philip (1962). "The Tombs and Obits of the Byzantine Emperors (337–1042)". Dumbarton Oaks Papers. 16. doi:10.2307/1291157. JSTOR 1291157.
• Grierson, Philip (1973). Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, 3: Leo III to Nicephorus III, 717-1081. Washington D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks. ISBN 0-88402-012-6.
• Jones, A. H. M.; Martindale, J. R.; Morris, John, eds. (1971–1992). Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire (3 volumes). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (see PLRE)
• Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991). Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6. (see ODB)
• Kienast, Dietmar; Werner Eck & Matthäus Heil (2017) [1990]. Römische Kaisertabelle: Grundzüge einer römischen Kaiserchronologie [Roman imperial table: Basics of the Roman imperial chronology] (in German) (6th ed.). Darmstadt: WBG. ISBN 978-3-534-26724-8.
• Schreiner, Peter (1977). Die byzantinischen Kleinchroniken II: Historischer Kommentar [Byzantine small chronicles 2: Historical commentary]. Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae (in German). Vienna: ÖAW. ISBN 978-3-7001-0206-9.
• Trapp, Erich, ed. (2001). Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit [Prosopographical Lexicon of the Palaiologan era] (in German). Vienna: ÖAW. ISBN 978-3-7001-1462-8. (see PLP)
• Treadgold, Warren (1997). A History of the Byzantine State and Society. Stanford: Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-2630-6.