Complete List of Roman Emperors and their length of reign: From Augustus to Romulus Augustulus
Ancient Rome, a civilization that gave us magnificent arches and architectural works, and literature from the likes of Cicero, Virgil and Ovid, is said to have been founded around the 8th century BC. And for the next three hundred years or so, ancient Rome, i.e. the Roman Kingdom (8th century BC – 6th century BC), was ruled by kings. The Roman Kingdom then gave way for the Roman Republic, which lasted for about five hundred years (i.e. from around 509 BC to 27 BC).
Roman Emperors | Image: Statue of 13th Roman Emperor Trajan, posing in military garb, in front of the Amphitheater of Colonia Ulpia Traiana in the Xanten Archaeological Park
As a result of the political and military maneuvers of Roman generals and politicians – like Sulla, Marcus Licinius Crassus, Pompey the Great, Julius Caesar and Octavian (Augustus) – the Roman Republic ended up being replaced by Imperial Rome, whose first emperor was the Roman general and politician Augustus, the adopted son of Julius Caesar. Augustus’ four-decade reign ushered in about five hundred years of imperial government, which ended in the 5th century AD when the Western Roman Empire collapsed.
World History Edu presents in a chronological order the list of Western Roman emperors and their length of reign.
| Roman Emperor | Reign | Born | Died | Cause of death | Dynasty/Era |
| Augustus | 31 BC–14 AD | 63 BC | 14 AD | Natural causes | Julio-Claudian |
| Tiberius | 14–37 AD | 42 BC | 37 AD | Natural causes or murdered by his adopted son and heir Caligula | Julio-Claudian |
| Caligula | 37–41 AD | 12 AD | 41 AD | Murdered by the Praetorian Guard | Julio-Claudian |
| Claudius | 41–54 AD | 10 BC | 54 AD | Likely poisoned by his wife Afrippina | Julio-Claudian |
| Nero | 54–68 AD | 37 AD | 68 AD | Committed suicide | Julio-Claudian |
| Galba | 68–69 AD | 3 BC | 69 AD | Murdered by members of the Praetorian Guard under the instruction of Otho | Year of Four Emperors |
| Otho | January-April 69 AD | 32 AD | 69 AD | Committed suicide | Year of Four Emperors |
| Aulus Vitellius | July-December 69 AD | 15 AD | 69 AD | Murdered by Vespasian’s soldiers | Year of Four Emperors |
| Vespasian | 69–79 AD | 9 AD | 79 AD | Natural causes | Flavian/Year of Four Emperors |
| Titus | 79-81 AD | 39 AD | 81 AD | Natural causes | Flavian |
| Domitian | 81-96 AD | 51 AD | 96 AD | Assassinated | Flavian |
| Nerva | 96–98 AD | 30 AD | 98 AD | Natural causes | Nerva-Antonine |
| Trajan | 98–117 AD | 53 AD | 117 AD | Natural causes | Nerva-Antonine |
| Hadrian | 117–138 AD | 76 AD | 138 AD | Natural causes | Nerva-Antonine |
| Antoninus Pius | 138–161 AD | 86 AD | 161 AD | Natural causes | Nerva-Antonine |
| Marcus Aurelius | 161–180 AD | 121 AD | 180 AD | Natural causes | Nerva-Antonine |
| Lucius Verus | 161-169 AD | 130 AD | 169 AD | Natural causes | Nerva-Antonine |
| Commodus | 177–192 AD | 161 AD | 192 AD | Murdered in a conspiracy involving the Praetorian Prefect | Nerva-Antonine |
| Publius Helvius Pertinax | January-March 193 AD | 126 AD | 193 AD | Murdered by the Senate on the orders of Septimius Severus | Year of Five Emperors |
| Marcus Didius Severus Julianus | March–June 193 AD | 133 AD | 193 AD | Murdered by a palace soldeier | Year of Five Emperors |
| Pescennius Niger | April 193 – May, 194 AD | c. 135 AD | 194 AD | Killed while fleeing from Antioch | Year of Five Emperors |
| Clodius Albinus | Imperial pretender, 193-197 | c. 150 | 197 AD | Executed in Lugdunum, likely on the orders of Severus | Year of Five Emperors |
| Septimius Severus | 193–211 AD | 145 AD | 211 AD | Natural causes | Severan dynasty/Year of Five Emperors |
| Caracalla | 198-217 AD | 188 AD | 217 AD | Murdered by a soldier | Severan |
| Publius Septimius Geta | 209–211 AD | 189 AD | 211 AD | Murdered by his brother, Caracalla | Severan |
| Macrinus | 217–218 AD | c. 165 | 218 AD | Murdered during a revolt by troops | Interlude |
| Diadumenian | May–June 218 | 208 AD | 218 AD | Executed | Interlude |
| Elagabalus | 218–222 AD | c. 204 AD | 222 AD | Murdered by the Praetorian Guard | Severan |
| Severus Alexander | 222–235 AD | 208 AD | 235 AD | Lynched by the troops | Severan |
| Maximinus | 235–238 AD | c. 138 AD | 238 AD | Murdered by his soldiers | Year of the Six Emperors |
| Gordian I | March–April 238 AD | c. 158 AD | 238 AD | Committed suicide | Gordian/Year of Six Emperor |
| Gordian II | March–April 238 AD | c. 192 AD | 238 AD | Killed in battle | Gordian/Year of Six Emperor |
| Pupienus Maximus | April 22–July 29, 238 AD | c. 168 AD | 238 AD | Murdered by the Praetorian Guard | Year of Six Emperor |
| Balbinus | April 22–July 29, 238 AD | c. 178 AD | 238 AD | Murdered by the Praetorian Guard | Year of Six Emperor |
| Gordian III | 238–244 AD | 225 AD | 244 AD | Died in a battle against Persia | Gordian/Year of Six Emperor |
| Philip I (Philip the Arab) | 244–249 AD | c. 204 AD | 249 AD | Killed in the Battle of Verona | |
| Philip II | 247–249 | 237 AD | 249 AD | Murdered by the Praetorian Guard | |
| Decius | 249–251 AD | c. 201 AD | 251 AD | Killed at the Battle of Abrittus | Decian |
| Herennius Etruscus | May–June 251 | c. 227 AD | 251 AD | Killed at the Battle of Abrittus | Decian |
| Hostilian | c. June-July, 251 AD | c. 251 AD | Died of plague or killed by Trebonianus Gallus | ||
| Trebonianus Gallus | June 251 – August 253 | 206 AD | 253 AD | Murdered by his soldiers | |
| Gaius Vibius Volusianus | November 251 – August 254 | 230 AD | 253 AD | Murdered by his soldiers | |
| Aemilian | June–September 253 AD | c. 210 AD | 253 AD | Murdered by his troops | Decian |
| Valerian | 253–260 AD | c. 199 | 260 AD | Died while being held captive by the Persian king Shapur I | Valerian |
| Gallienus | 253–268 AD | c. 218 AD | 268 AD | Murdered in a conspiracy involving some army officers | Valerian |
| Claudius II Gothicus | 268–270 AD | 214 AD | 270 AD | Died of the plague of Cyprian | Gordian |
| Quintillus | c. April–May, 270 AD | 270 AD | Committed suicide | Gordian | |
| Aurelian | 270–275 AD | 214 AD | 275 AD | Murdered by the troops | Gordian |
| Tacitus | 275–276 AD | 276 AD | Likely murdered, or died of a fever | Tacitus | |
| Florian | June–September 276 AD | 232 AD | 276 AD | Murdered by his own troops | Tacitus |
| Probus | 276–282 AD | 232 AD | 282 AD | Murdered by his own soldiers | Tacitus |
| Carus | 282–283 AD | c. 222 AD | 282 AD | Died in a military campaign against the Persians | Caran |
| Numerian | 283–284 AD | 284 AD | Died during a military campaign in Europe | Caran | |
| Carinus | 283–285 AD | 285 AD | Died in a battle against Diocletian | Caran | |
| Diocletian | 284-305 AD | c. 245 AD | c. 311 AD | Abdicated and later died of an illness | |
| Maximian | West, 286–305 AD | c. 250 AD | 310 AD | Abdicated and was later killed | |
| Constantius I | West, 305–306 AD | c. 250 AD | 306 AD | Natural causes | Constantinian |
| Galerius | East, 305-311 AD | c. 258 AD | 311 AD | Natural causes | |
| Severus II | 306–307 AD | 309 AD | Murdered, or forced to commit suicide | ||
| Maxentius | 306–312 AD | c. 283 AD | 312 AD | Died at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, against Constantine I | |
| Constantine I | 306–337 AD | c. 272 AD | 337 AD | Natural causes | Constantinian |
| Galerius Valerius Maximinus | 310–313 AD | c. 270 AD | 313 AD | Died from a disease | |
| Licinius | 308–324 AD | c. 265 AD | 325 AD | Unknown | |
| Constantine II | 337–340 AD | 316 AD | 340 AD | Killed in a war against his brother, Constans I | Constantinian |
| Constantius II | 337-361 AD | 317 AD | 361 AD | Fever | Constantinian |
| Constans I | 337–350 AD | c. 320 | 350 AD | Killed by the Roman general Magnentius | Constantinian |
| Gallus Caesar (Flavius Claudius Constantius) | east, 351–354 AD | 325 AD | 354 AD | Executed | Constantinian |
| Julian | 361–363 AD | 331 AD | 363 AD | Died of wounds sustained during a campaign against the Persians | Constantinian |
| Jovian | 363–364 AD | 331 AD | 364 AD | Likely died of indigestion | |
| Valentinian I | 364–375 AD | 321 AD | 375 AD | Stroke | Valentinianic |
| Valens | East, 364-378 AD | 328 AD | 378 AD | Killed at the Battle of Adrianople in 378 AD | Valentinianic |
| Gratian | 367–383 AD – coemperor with Valentinian I | 359 AD | 383 AD | Killed by an officer of Magnus Maximus | Valentinianic |
| Valentinian II | west, 37315–392 AD | 371 AD | 392 AD | Likely committed suicide | Valentinianic |
| Theodosius I | east, 379–392 AD; west, 392–395 AD | 347 AD | 395 AD | Natural causes | Theodosian |
| Arcadius | east, 383–395 AD as coemperor; 395–402 AD as sole emperor | c. 377 AD | 408 AD | Natural causes | Theodosian |
| Magnus Maximus | west, 383–388 AD | c.335 AD | 388 AD | Executed after a defeat at the Battle of Save in 388 AD | |
| Honorius | west, 393–395 AD as coemperor; 395–423 AD as sole emperor | c. 384 AD | 423 AD | Died of hydropsy (i.e. swelling in the body’s tissue) | Theodosian |
| Theodosius II | east, 408–450 AD | 401 AD | 450 AD | A fall from his horse | Theodosian |
| Constantius III | west, 421 AD, coemperor | 421 AD | Severe illness | ||
| Valentinian III | west, 425–455 AD | 419 AD | 455 AD | Murdered | Valentinianic and Theodosian |
| Marcian | east, 450–457 AD | c. 392 | 457 AD | Natural causes | Theodosian |
| Petronius Maximus | March 17–May 31, 455 AD | c. 397 AD | 455 AD | Murdered during the Vandalic sack of Rome | |
| Avitus | west, 455–456 AD | c. 390 AD | 456 AD | Deposed and died later in 456 | |
| Majorian | west, 457–461 AD | c. 420 AD | 461 AD | Deposed and later executed | |
| Libius Severus | 461–465 AD | 465 AD | Natural causes | ||
| Anthemius | west, 467–472 AD | 480 AD | Murdered by Gundobad, the king of the Burgundians | ||
| Olybrius | west, April–November 472 AD | 472 AD | Natural causes | ||
| Glycerius | west, 473–474 AD | 474 AD | Unknown | ||
| Julius Nepos | west, 474–475 AD | 480 AD | Fled Rome and was murdered by his retainers | ||
| Romulus Augustulus | west, 475–476 AD | c. 465 AD | c. 513 AD | Unknown | |
More facts about Roman Emperors
First Roman emperor Augustus
August Caesar, Rome’s first emperor, ruled for about four decades, from 27 BCE till 14 CE. He is credited with pushing the empire’s boundaries as he annexed numerous territories.
The Roman emperor who holds the title of having the greatest military expansion is Trajan. After inheriting the throne from Emperor Nerva, Trajan set out on a massive expansion project which resulted the Roman Empire reaching its maximum territorial extent. The empire covered large places around the Mediterranean Sea in Europe, West Asia, and North Africa. At that stretch, the Roman Empire was in the region of 5 million square kilometers. The only two other empires that reached such heights were the Achaemenid Empire during the reign of Darius the Great, and the Macedonian Empire during the reign of Alexander the Great.
The 3rd and 4th centuries AD witnessed the most number of Roman emperors.
Read More: Top 10 Greatest Roman Emperors
