The Origins of the term 'Emperor'[]
Emperor comes from Imperator which was a military title in the Roman Empire which was held by Julius Caesar and many other prominent Romans. He was the head of the army in a region and commanded their wages, which won their loyalty in most times when it was contested.
The First Emperors[]
Gaius Julius Caesar was the man who established such fame in the Roman Empire that his name was often used to described the second in command after the Emperor, a co-Emperor and successor. The last will and testament of Caesar left Gaius Octavius Thurinius as his heir by adoption and he became the Emperor Augustus. Augustus meaning god-like was important in reuniting the Empire after the Civil war from the murder of Julius Caesar and in the establishment of the Emperor as the most powerful person in the Empire, more so than Senators. The Senate began here to lose power in the Empire and would try to regain it in the years to come.
A List of Emperors of Rome[]
Julio-Claudian Dynasty: Augustus-Nero
Year of the Four Emperors: Galba-Vespasian
Flavian Dynasty Vespasian-Domitian
Nervan-Antonine Dynasty: Nerva-Marcus Aurelius
Caroline Dynasty: Carolus and Ignacius
Jacobine Dynasty: Jacobus and Decius
Henrican Dynasty: Henricus, Cornelius, Carinus
Constantine Dynasty: Constantinus the first and second
Sergian Dynasty: Sergius-Diocletian
Middle Dynasty: Eudoxius, Sidonius and Vetranio
Capitian Dynasty: Horatius-Tarsus
- Augustus (Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus) reigned 726-767 (27 BC- 14 AD)
- Tiberius (Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus) 767-790 (14-37 AD)
- Caligula (Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) 790-794 (37-41 AD)
- Claudius (Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) 794-807 (41-54 AD)
- Nero (Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) 807-821 (54-68 AD)
- Galba (Servius Galba Imperator Caesar Augustus) 821-822 (68-69 AD)
- Otho (Marcus Otho Caesar Augustus) January- April, 822
- Vitellius (Aulus Vitellius Germanicus Augustus) April-December, 822
- Vespasian (Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasianus Augustus) 822-832 (69-79 AD)
- Titus (Titus Flavius Caesar Cespasianus Augustus) 832-834 (79-81 AD)
- Domitian (Titius Flavius Caesar Domitianus Augustus) 834-849 (81-96 AD)
- Nerva (Marcus Cocceius Nerva Caesar Augustus) 849-851 (96-98 AD)
- Trajan (Caesar Marcus Ulpius Nerva Trajanus Augustus) 851-870 (98-117 AD)
- Hadrian (Caesar Publius Aelius Trajanus Hadrianus Augustus) 870-891 (117-138 AD)
- Antoninus Pius (Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius) 891-914 (138-161 AD)
- Marcus Aurelius (Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus) 914-934 (161-181 AD)
- Carolus (Caesar Carolus Parthius Armenius Antoninus Augustus) 934-967 (181-214 AD)
- Ignacius (Caesar Aurelius Julianus Augustus) 967-1010 (214-257 AD)
- Jacobus (Caesar Aurelius Ignacius Jacobus Augustus) 1011-1032 (258-279 AD)
- Decius (Caesar Gaius Messius Decius Augustus) 1032-1061 (279-308 AD)
- Henricus (Caesar Philipus Quintus Henricus Augustus) 1066-1114 (308-361 AD)
- Cornelius (Caesar Publius Helvius Cornelius Augustus) 1114-1130 (361-377 AD)
- Carinus (Caesar Julianus Sextus Carinus Augustus) 1131-1160(378-407 AD)
- Constantinus (Caesar Tristanus Constantinus Augustus) 1162-1187 (409-434 AD)
- Constantinus II (Caesar Pacificus Henricus Augustus) 1187-1205 (434-452 AD)
- Sergius (Caesar Marcus Sergius Quarto Esquilinus Augustus) 1215-1229 (462-476 AD)
- Lurio (Caesar Lucretius Lurio Sextus Augustus) 1229-1247 (476-494 AD)
- Naucratius (Caesar Pertinax Naucratius Surus Gaius Augustus) 1247-1273 (494-520 AD)
- Tatian (Caesar Evodius Dignus Septimuss Augustus) 1273-1299 (520-546 AD)
- Diocletian (Caesar Drusus Claudius Diocletian Augustus) 1299-1366 (546-613 AD)
- Eudoxius (Caesar Crito Marcus Antonius Eudoxius Augustus) 1366-1382 (613-629 AD)
- Sidonius (Caesar Pavo Messius Pentimus Sidonius Augustus) 1382-1409 (629-656 AD)
- Vetranio (Caesar Turpilias Monumus Vetranio Augustus) 1409-1433 (656-680 AD)
- Horatius (Caesar Carvitus Genucius Pulvius Capitius Horatius Augustus) 1433-1457 (680-704 AD)
- Cartesius (Caesar Crito Thessalonius Cartesius Capitius Augustus) 1457-1466 (704-713 AD)
- Valerius (Caesar Aquilinus Maruetius Valerius Capitius Augustus) 1466-1471 (713-718 AD)
- Quintus (Caesar Marcus Antoninus Quintus Capitius Augustus) 1471-1491 (718-738 AD)
- Tarsus (Caesar Fidenas Tarsus Capitius Augustus) 1491-1497 (738-744 AD)
- Sertor (Caesar Publius Etruscus Sertor Augustus) 1497-1515 (744-762 AD)
- Livius (Caesar Moria Marcus Antoninus Livius Quaestro Augustus) 1515-1529 (762-776 AD)
- Capesian (Caesar Livius Marcus Capesianus Augustus) 1529-1534 (776-781 AD)
- Tanicius (Caesar Caracalus Spurius Tanicius Augustus) 1534-1568 (781-815 AD)
- Naevius (Caesar Pullo Nicolo Naevius Augustus) 1568-1582 (815-829 AD)
- Aelius (Caesar Justinianus Gaius Aelius Primus Augustus) 1582-1601 (829-848 AD)
