(Lat. imperator, general), a title common (in its Latin form) to all governors who had paramount jurisdiction within a given province (Smith, Diet. of Class. Antiq. s.v. Imperium), but technically assumed as a praenomen first by Julius Caesar (Sueton. Jul. 76), as affecting supreme power, and historically attributed to his successors, the heads of the so- styled ROMAN EMPIRE (See ROMAN EMPIRE) (q.v.). They were also designated as CAESAR (See CAESAR) (q.v.). We are here chiefly concerned with them as they came in contact with the Christian religion in the character of persecutors or patrons. (See PERSECUTION). (See Baldwin, Edicta vett. principum Roman. de Christianis, Hal. 1727 [also in Heineccii Jurispr. Romans 1:1374 sq.]; Crause, De Romanorum imperatoribus haereticis, viz. 1674; Hebenstreit, De primis Christianis imperatoribus, Jen. 1702; Heineccius, De ministris Caesarun Christianis, Hal. 1712; also Hirt, De imperatorun ante Constant. erga Christianos favore, Jen. 1758; Koepke, De statu Christianorum sub impp. Berol. 1828).

The following is a complete list of the Roman emperors, with their respective dates of accession.

Julio-Cl audians

(31 or) 27 B.C. - 14 A.D. Augustus
14 - 37 Tiberius
37 - 41 Caligula
41 - 54 Claudius
54 - 68 Nero

Year of the 4 Emperors

(ends with Vespasian)

68 - 69 Galba
69 Otho
69 Vitellius

Flavian Dynasty

69 - 79 Vespasian
79 - 81 Titus
81 - 96 Domitian

5 Good Emperors

96 - 98 Nerva
98 - 117 Trajan
117 - 138 Hadrian
138 - 161 Antoninus Pius
161 - 180 Marcus Aurelius
(161 - 169 Lucius Verus)

(The next cluster of emperors is not part of a specific dynasty or other common grouping, but includes 4 from the year of the 5 emperors, 193.)

177/180 - 192 Commodus
193 Pertinax
193 Didius Julianus
193 - 194 Pescennius Niger
193 - 197 Clodius Albinus

Severans

193 - 211 Septimius Severus
198/212 - 217 Caracalla
217 - 218 Macrinus
218 - 222 Elagabalus
222 - 235 Severus Alexander

(More emperors without a dynastic label, although it includes the year of the 6 emperors, 238.) For more on this age of chaos, read Brian Campbell's excellent synopsis in The Romans and Their World.

235 - 238 Maximinus
238 Gordian I and II
238 Balbinus and Pupienus
238 - 244 Gordian III
244 - 249 Philip the Arab
249 - 251 Decius
251 - 253 Gallus
253 - 260 Valerian
254 - 268 Gallienus
268 - 270 Claudius Gothicus
270 - 275 Aurelian
275 - 276 Tacitus
276 - 282 Probus
282 - 285 Carus Carinus Numerian

Tetrarchy

285-ca.310 Diocletian
295 L. Domitius Domitianus
297-298 Aurelius Achilleus
303 Eugenius
285- ca.310 Maximianus Herculius
285 Amandus
285 Aelianus Iulianus

286?-297? British Emperors
286/7-293 Carausius
293-296/7 Allectus

293-306 Constantius I Chlorus

Dynasty of Constantine

293-311 Galerius
305-313 Maximinus Daia
305-307 Severus II
306-312 Maxentius
308-309 L. Domitius Alexander
308-324 Licinius
314? Valens
324 Martinianus
306-337 Constantinus I
333/334 Calocaerus
337-340 Constantinus II
337-350 Constans I
337-361 Constantius II
350-353 Magnentius
350 Nepotian
350 Vetranio
355 Silvanus
361-363 Julianus
363-364 Jovianus

(More emperors without a dynastic label)

364-375 Valentinianus I
375 Firmus
364-378 Valens
365-366 Procopius
366 Marcellus
367-383 Gratian
375-392 Valentinianus II
378-395 Theodosius I
383-388 Magnus Maximus
384-388 Flavius Victor
392-394 Eugenius

395-423 Honorius[Division of the Empire - Honorius' brother Arcadius ruled the East 395-408]
407-411 Constantine III usurper
421 Constantius III
423-425 Johannes
425-455 Valentinian III
455 Petronius Maximus
455-456 Avitus
457-461 Majorian
461-465 Libius Severus
467-472 Anthemius
468 Arvandus
470 Romanus
472 Olybrius
473-474 Glycerius
474-475 Julius Nepos
475-476 Romulus Augustulus

Bibliography Information
McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Emperor'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/e/emperor.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.

Bible Encyclopedias Emperor

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

Bible Encyclopedias
Emperor