| Monarchy of Rhomania | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Incumbent | |
 Constantine XVI | |
| Details | |
| First monarch | Constantine I (as Emperor)
Constantine XIV (as King) |
| Formation | 330 (Empire) 1805 (Kingdom) |
| Residence | Palace of Blachernae, Constantinople |
This is a list of every Rhomanian emperor, empress, king and queen since the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Byzantine Empire (or the Eastern Roman Empire), including the rulers of the modern Kingdom of Rhomania, founded in 1805. Only the monarchs 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.
Traditionally, the line of Rhomanian emperors is held to begin with the Roman Emperor Constantine 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 Rhomanian 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". In the mid-15th century, the standard imperial formula of the Byzantine ruler was "[Emperor's name] in Christ, Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans" (cf. Ῥωμαῖοι and Rûm). When on occasion rendering their names and titles in Latin in the centuries following the adoption of Basileus and Greek language, Byzantine rulers used Imperator for senior emperors and Rex for junior emperors, as seen in coins of Michael III and his junior emperor Basil I.
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.
Empire of Rhomania (330–1801)[]
Monarchy abolished from 13 February 1801 to 31 July 1805.
Kingdom of Rhomania (since 1805)[]
Multidynastic period (1805–1903)[]
| Name | Picture | Reign began | Reign ended | Duration | House | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constantine XIV | 
|
31 July 1805 | 20 March 1826 | 20 years, 7 months, 20 days | Wittelsbach | Instated by a referendum |
| Ferenikos V | 
|
20 March 1826 | 24 April 1828 | 2 years, 4 days | Esterházy | Took over after a coup
then deposed |
| Andronikus V | 
|
24 April 1828 | 7 November 1859 | 31 years, 6 months, 14 days | Neopalaiologos | Took over from a popular revolt |
| Ferenikos VI | 
|
7 November 1859 | 24 December 1870 | 11 years, 1 month, 17 days | Esterházy | Appointed by the Senate |
| Andronikus VI | 
|
24 December 1870 | 15 June 1903 | 32 years, 5 months, 22 days | Neopalaiologos | Took over from a referendum |
Bourbon dynasty (since 1903)[]
| Name | Picture | Reign began | Reign ended | Duration | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constantine XV
(1880-1943) |
|
15 June 1903 | 15 June 1943 | 40 years | Won in a referendum |
| Theodora II
(1879-1973) |
|
15 June 1943 | 13 January
1973 |
29 years, 7 months, 29 days | Sister of Constantine XV |
| Ferenikos VII
(1901-1993) |
|
13 January
1973 |
13 August
1993 |
20 years, 8 months | Son of Theodora II |
| Andronikus VII
(1940-2023) |
|
13 August 1993 | 5 February 2021 | 26 years, 5 months, and 24 days | Son of Ferenikos VII |
| Constantine XVI
(1967-present) |
|
5 February 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years and 11 months | Son of Andronikus VII |
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