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This is a list of the Emperors of the late Eastern [[Roman Empire]], called [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] by modern historians. This list does not include numerous coemperors who never attained sole or senior status as rulers.
The title of all Emperors listed preceding Heraclius was officially [[Augustus]], although various other titles such as [[Dominus]] were used as well. For official purposes, their names were preceded by Imperator Caesar Flavius and followed by Augustus. Following Heraclius, the title commonly became the Greek [[Basileus]] (Gr. Βασιλεύς), which had formerly meant generally "king", "[[Monarch|sovereign]]" but now was used in place of Augustus. Kings were now titled by the neologism Regas (Gr. Ρήγας, from the Lat. "Rex") or by another generic term Archon (Gr. Άρχων, "ruler"). [[Autocrat|Autokrator]] (Gr. Αυτοκράτωρ) was also frequently used, along with a plethora of more hyperbolic titles—with grandiloquence typically in inverse proportion to actual power—including Kosmokrator (Gr. Κοσμοκράτωρ) ("Master of the Universe") and Chronokrator (Gr. Χρονοκράτωρ) ("Lord of All Time"). The emperors of the 15th century alone were often self-styled as Basileus ton Hellinon, "Emperor of the Greeks," though they still considered themselves "Roman" Emperors.
[Note: See also ''[[Greek (name)#Byzantines (Βυζαντινοί)|the term "Byzantine"]]'' with regard to the late [[Roman Empire]]. This list begins with [[Constantine the Great|Constantine I]] the Great, the first Christian emperor reigning from [[Constantinople]], although [[Diocletian]] before him had ruled from Nicaea and replaced the pseudorepublican trappings of the office with a straightforward autocracy and Heraclius I after him replaced Latin with Greek and began the restructuring of the Empire into [[Thema|themata]].]
==[[Constantine Dynasty|Constantinian dynasty]] (306-363)==
:1. St. [[Constantine I]] (''Constantinus Pius Felix Invictus Augustus Pontifex Maximus Pater Patriae Proconsul''; 272 - 337; ruled 306 - 337) – son of [[Constantius Chlorus]], left the empire divided among his heirs, and was canonized by the Orthodox Church. He called the [[First Ecumenical Council]] to settle the problem of [[Arianism]].
:2. [[Constantius II]] (''Flavius Iulius Constantius''; 317 - 361; ruled 337 - 361) – son of Constantine I
:4. [[Jovian]] (''Iovianus''; 332 - 364; ruled 363 - 364) – soldier, restored Christianity
==[[Valentinian Dynasty|Valentinian]]-[[House of Theodosius|Theodosian]] dynasty (364-457)==
:5. [[Valentinian I]] (''Flavius Valentinianus''; 321 - 375; ruled 364) – soldier, redivided the empire, taking the West
:6. [[Valens]] (''Flavius Iulius Valens''; 328 - 378; ruled 364 - 378) – brother of Valentinian I
:12. [[Marcian]] (''Flavius Marcianus''; 392 - 457; ruled 450 - 457) – soldier; married Pulcheria after Theodosius's death; canonized by the Orthodox church
==[[House of Leo|Leonid dynasty]] (457-518)==
:13. [[Leo I (emperor)|Leo I]] the Thracian (Valerius Leo) (401-474, ruled 457 - 474) – soldier
:14. [[Leo II (emperor)|Leo II]] (467 - 474, ruled 474) – grandson of Leo I, son of Zeno
:17. [[Anastasius I (emperor)|Anastasius I]] (430 - 518, ruled 491 - 518) – silentiarius; son-in-law of Leo I, elevated by selection by Zeno's widow Ariadne
==[[Justinian Dynasty|Justinian dynasty]] (518-602)==
:18. [[Justin I]] (''Flavius Iustinius''; 450 - 527; ruled 518 - 527) – commander of the guard
:19. [[Justinian I]] the Great (''Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus''; 482 - 565; ruled 527 - 565) – nephew and adoptive son of Justin I, canonized by the Orthodox church, built the Hagia Sophia, organized the Roman Laws, took back most of the original-old empire
:23. [[Phocas]] (''Flavius Phocas''; ? - 610; ruled 602 - 610)
==[[Heraclian Dynasty|Heraclian dynasty]] (610-695)==
:24. [[Heraclius]] (Ηράκλειος) (575 - 641, ruled 610 - 641) – usurper; son of the Armenian Exarch of Africa
:25. [[Constantine III (emperor)|Constantine III]] (Heraclius Constantine) (Κωνσταντίνος Γ') (612 - 641, ruled 641) – son of Heraclius; coemperor with Heraklonas
:35. [[Theodosius III|Theodosios III]] (Θεοδόσιος Γ' ο Αδραμμυττηνός) (ruled 715 - 717) – tax-collector; abdicated and entered monastery
==[[Isaurian Dynasty|Isaurian dynasty]] (717-802)==
:36. [[Leo III the Isaurian|Leo III]] the Isaurian (Λέων Γ' ο Ίσαυρος) (675 - 741, ruled 717 - 741) – Strategos
:37. [[Constantine V]] Kopronymos (the Dung-named) (Κωνσταντίνος Ε' ο Κοπρώνυμος ή Καβαλίνος) (718 - 745, ruled 741) – son of Leo III; deposed
:39. [[Leo IV the Khazar|Leo IV]] the Khazar (Λέων Δ' o Χαζάρος) (750 - 780, ruled 775 - 780) – son of Constantine V
:40. [[Constantine VI]] the Blinded (Κωνσταντίνος ΣΤ') (771 - 797, ruled 780 - 797) – son of Leo IV; deposed and mutilated by mother
:41. St. [[Irene of Athens]] (Ειρήνη η Αθηναία) (755 - 803, ruled 797 - 802) – wife of Leo IV, mother of Constantine VI; canonized by the Orthodox church; deposed and exiled to [[Lesbos Island|Lesbos]].
==Nikephoros' dynasty (802-813)==
:42. [[Nicephorus I|Nikephoros I]] (Νικηφόρος Α') ( ? - 811, ruled 802 - 811) – [[Megas Logothetes]]; died in battle, skull used as wine cup
:43. [[Stauracius|Staurakios]] (Σταυράκιος Φωκάς) ( ? - 812, ruled 811) – son of Nikephoros I; paralyzed
:44. [[Michael I Rhangabes|Michael I Rangabe]] (Μιχαήλ Α' Ραγκαβής) (ruled 811 - 813) – son-in-law of Nikephoros I and master of the palace; deposed and entered monastery
:49. [[Michael III]] the Drunkard (Μιχαήλ Γ' ο Μέθυσος) (840 - 867, ruled 842 - 867) – son of Theophilos; assassinated
==[[Macedonian dynasty]] (867-1056)==
:50. [[Basil I]] the Macedonian (Βασίλειος Α') (811 - 886, ruled 867 - 886) - married Michael III's widow; died in hunting accident
:51. [[Leo VI the Wise]] (Λέων ΣΤ' ο Σοφός) (866 - 912, ruled 886 - 912) – likely either son of Basil I or Michael III;
:66. [[Michael VI]] the General (Μιχαήλ ΣΤ' ο Στρατιωτικός) (ruled 1056 - 1057) – chosen by Theodora; deposed & entered monastery
==[[Comnenus|Comnenid dynasty]]==
:67. [[Isaac I Comnenus|Isaac I Komnenos]] (Ισαάκιος Α' ο Κομνηνός) (c. 1007 - 1060, ruled 1057 - 1059) – soldier; abdicated in a fit of illness & entered monastery
:74. [[Manuel I Komnenos]] the Great (Μανουήλ Α' Κομνηνός ο Μέγας) (1118 - 1180, ruled 1143 - 1180) – son of John II
:75. [[Alexios II Komnenos]] (Αλέξιος B' Κομνηνός) (1169 - 1183, ruled 1180 - 1183) – son of Manuel I; murdered with garrotte
:76. [[Andronikos I Komnenos]] (Ανδρόνικος Α' Κομνηνός) (1118 - 1185, ruled 1183 - 1185) – nephew of John II; married Alexios II's widow; deposed, tortured, and executed; ancestor of the Komnenian line in [[Trebizond]].
==Angelid dynasty (1185-1204)==
:81. [[Alexios V]] Doukas the Bushy-eyebrowed (Αλέξιος Ε' Δούκας ο Μούρτζουφλος) (1140 - 1204, ruled 1204) – son-in-law of Alexios III
==Laskarid dynasty (in exile, [[Empire of Nicaea]], 1204-1261)==
:82. [[Constantine Laskaris]] (ruled 1204) – not officially crowned
:83. [[Theodore I Laskaris]] (Θεόδωρος Α' Λάσκαρης) (1174 - 1222, ruled 1204 - 1222) – son-in-law of Alexios III
:86. [[John IV Laskaris|John IV Doukas Laskaris]] (Ιωάννης Δ' Δούκας Λάσκαρης) (1250 - 1305, ruled 1258 - 1261) – son of Theodore II, deposed, blinded, and imprisoned by Michael VIII
==[[Palaeologus|Palaiologan Dynasty]] (restored to Constantinople, 1259-1453)==
:87. [[Michael VIII Palaiologos]] (Μιχαήλ Η' Παλαιολόγος) (1224 - 1282, ruled 1259 - 1282) – Strategos, regent for [[John IV Lascaris]]; great-grandson of [[Alexios III Angelos]]
:88. [[Andronikos II Palaiologos]] the Elder (Ανδρόνικος Β' ο Γέρος) (1258 - 1332, ruled 1282 - 1328) – son of Michael VIII; abdicated
===Ottomans===
In 1453 [[Mehmed II]] overthrew the Byzantine Empire and claimed the title of [[Caesar (title)|Kaisar]]; his successors continued this claim.
==[[Palaeologus|Palaiologan Dynasty]] (in exile)==
*[[Thomas Palaeologus|Thomas Palaiologos]] (Θωμάς Παλαιολόγος) (1409 or 10 - 1465) – brother of Constantine XI; died in exile in Rome
*[[Andreas Palaeologus|Andrew Palaiologos]] (Ανδρέας Παλαιολόγος) (1453 - 1502) – son of Thomas; created [[despotism|Despot]] by [[Pope Pius II]], self-styled <small>imperator Constantinopolitanus</small>; sold titles to [[Charles VIII of France|Charles VIII]] in 1494 and granted the remainder to King [[Ferdinand II of Aragon|Ferran II]] of Aragon and Queen [[Isabella of Castile|Isabel]] of Castille in his will.
==Source==
