thumbnail

Roman Emperors

Type to guess the names of all the Roman Emperors, either in English or in Italian.
Data from Wikipedia (hence Julius Caesar not included)
Not counting some minor sons who were made emperor under their father
Quiz by scambigol
Rate:
Last updated: October 19, 2023
You have not attempted this quiz yet.
First submittedApril 27, 2014
Times taken76,776
Average score25.0%
Rating4.95
10:00
Enter answer here
0
 / 84 guessed
The quiz is paused. You have remaining.
Scoring
You scored / = %
This beats or equals % of test takers also scored 100%
The average score is
Your high score is
Your fastest time is
Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
Julio-Claudian dynasty
Reign
Emperor
27 BC–14 AD
Augustus
14–37
Tiberius
37–41
Caligula
41–54
Claudius
54–68
Nero
 
 
Year of the Four Emperors
and Flavian dynasty
Reign
Emperor
68–69
Galba
69
Otho
69
Vitellius
69–79
Vespasian
79–81
Titus
81–96
Domitian
 
 
Nervan-Antonian dynasty
Reign
Emperor
96–98
Nerva
98–117
Trajan
117–138
Hadrian
138–161
Antoninus Pius
161–180
Marcus Aurelius
161–169
Lucius Verus
177–192
Commodus
 
 
Year of the Five Emperors
and Severan dynasty
Reign
Emperor
193
Pertinax
193
Didius Julianus
193–211
Septimius Severus
198–217
Caracalla
209–211
Geta
217–218
Macrinus
218–222
Elagabalus
222–235
Severus Alexander
Crisis of the Third Century
Reign
Emperor
235–238
Maximinus I
238
Gordian I
238
Gordian II
238
Pupienus
238
Balbinus
238–244
Gordian III
244–249
Philip the Arab
249–251
Trajan Decius
251
Hostilian
251–253
Trebonianus Gallus
253
Aemilian
253–260
Valerian
253–268
Gallienus
268–270
Claudius Gothicus
270
Quintillus
270–275
Aurelian
275–276
Tacitus
276
Florian
276–282
Probus
282–283
Carus
283–284
Numerian
283–285
Carinus
 
 
Tetrarchy and
Constantinian dynasty
Reign
Emperor
284–305
Diocletian
286–305
Maximian
305–306
Constantius I Chlorus
305–311
Galerius
306–307
Severus II
306–337
Constantine I
306–312
Maxentius
311–313
Maximinus II
308–324
Licinius I
337–340
Constantine II
337–361
Constantius II
337–350
Constans I
350
Vetranio
360–363
Julian II
363–364
Jovian
Valentinian dynasty
Reign
Emperor
364–375
Valentinian I
364–378
Valens
367–383
Gratian
375–392
Valentinian II
 
 
Theodosian dynasty
Reign
Emperor
379–395
Theodosius I
383–408
Arcadius
393–423
Honorius
402–450
Theodosius II
421
Constantius III
423–425
Joannes
424–455
Valentinian III
450–457
Marcian
 
 
Last Emperors of the
Western Empire
Reign
Emperor
455
Petronius Maximus
455–456
Avitus
457–461
Majorian
461–465
Libius Severus
467–472
Anthemius
472–472
Olybrius
473–474
Glycerius
474–475
Julius Nepos
475–476
Romulus Augustulus
+10
Level 82
Jun 4, 2014
I guess you're not counting the Eastern Roman Empire? Would have boosted by pitiable score by about 50% if you had.
+3
Level 86
Jun 4, 2014
There are the first few : Arcadius, Theodosius II and Marcian.
+5
Level 66
Oct 5, 2017
Not Really. Even though they have very similar names, they were very different empires. Here are some differences. Rome: Spoken Latin, Eastern Rome: Spoke Greek, Rome: Practiced Roman Religion, Eastern Rome: Practiced Christianity. Not to mention Justinian's code, Greek Fire, the Byzant, Architecture, The Land Area, etc.
+7
Level 82
Jan 26, 2019
So because they speak Cantonese in Guangzhou and Mandarin in Beijing they are in different countries, now?
+3
Level 88
Oct 30, 2019
It's kind of hard to have the Empire of Rome when Rome is hundreds of miles outside your borders.
+10
Level 26
Mar 14, 2020
Only if you think Rome is a place rather than an idea.
+3
Level 74
Mar 23, 2020
Easteners called themselves the Romans because they were the true spirit of the empire, when the western part just gave up they keep on the business thanks to the Aurelian walls, Theodosius' rules, Diocletian administration and the Constantine's idea of a central religion. Greek was adopted as it was the most common language during centuries as well as the eastern views on Christianity.(In the same way the Goths assimilated the latin and the occidental views on religion of the western side)

Rome fall in 576 but the Roman empire outlived by almost a millennia.

+4
Level ∞
Mar 24, 2020
The Aurelian walls were in Rome. You're thinking of the Theodosian Walls. Also the western empire fell in 476 not in 576.
+3
Level 73
Dec 19, 2020
@WolfCam both Rome and Byzantine spoke Greek, at least in the East. Western providences of Byzantine spoke Latin still in the West. And Christian emperors from Rome are included in this quiz so this has nothing to do with paganism or Christianity.

@someone2018 For a lot of it's history, Byzantine had control over Rome itself, and later on was near it's border, if we want to use your logic. Even then, being Roman doesn't mean having Rome, otherwise why would we call it the country in Eastern Europe, Romania? Additionally, the official name of Constantinople was Nova Roma or New Rome, so for all of Byzantine's existance, it had (New) Rome.

+1
Level 82
Apr 8, 2022
The capital was moved from Rome to Constantinople. Then the empire split in two. Then the western half fell, and was later reconquered by the eastern half. At the time nobody thought of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) empire as anything other than the Roman Empire.
+3
Level 35
Nov 12, 2019
Justinian's code is just a copy of the law of the old empire and republic even.
+3
Level 86
Jun 4, 2014
It's hard to tell if usurpators belong to the list or not... I would say Maxentius does but Vetriano? No I would definitely not have included him (or else I would have included many others, like some of the thirty tyrants for example, or Eugenius).
+6
Level ∞
Jun 4, 2014
It's way too complicated for me to make subjective judgements. This quiz uses the Wikipedia list.
+3
Level 76
Sep 14, 2017
Yeah, he was the one that stood out for me the most too. I have no idea why he wasn't included on the wiki page when there are other usurpers with a far weaker claim to the throne were.
+2
Level 34
Jun 4, 2014
38/84
+2
Level 52
Jun 4, 2014
8/84 I'm not COMPLETELY stupid at least. :P
+2
Level 24
Jun 4, 2014
Roman Empire fail.
+3
Level 75
Jun 4, 2014
Agree. Got 16 - the Fail of the Roman Empire.
+1
Level 79
Jan 10, 2024
So did I :)
+3
Level 68
Jun 5, 2014
Only 36... need to brush up on Roman history.
+4
Level 65
Dec 21, 2016
Nobody likes a fisherman...
+4
Level 89
Apr 10, 2020
People who like to eat fish do.
+1
Level 68
Jul 13, 2014
I got 55 this time.... definitely better.
+4
Level 33
Jul 14, 2014
Elagabalus,,, craziest ever Emperor. And that's saying something.
+4
Level 86
Dec 25, 2014
That's not saying anything. There are many received ideas about Roman history, about Antiquity in general in fact... What can be considered as a mad Roman? These guys were civilized but very brutal, which was normal considering the standards of the epoch. What is known about Elagabalus... his name was in fact Varius Avitus Bassiannus, rechristened in Marcus Aurelius Antoninus like the other Severans. He was not meant to be emperor and was very young when his mother and grand-mother plotted to put him on the throne, but he wanted to be a priest of Elagabalus, the sun god of Emesa. He went to Rome but relunctantly and became very... eccentric. He never dressed as an emperor and imposed exotic rites, such that the population of Rome became angry at him, more so than about any other, which is the reason why he was the only emperor quartered by the crowd. It's a very sad story, indeed.
+6
Level 61
Mar 18, 2020
Fine, but does nothing to refute the previous comment.
+4
Level 41
Sep 6, 2014
The unsung hero of this quiz is undoubtedly Claudius Gothicus. How many of us fans of the hobbling stammering scholar-emperor Claudius had heard about his later namesake before taking this quiz? Not I, that's for sure (:
+2
Level 37
Apr 1, 2021
Actually, Gothicus was a very good emperor who sort of got the ball rolling for the empire to dig itself out of the Crisis of the Third Century. He set the stage for Aurelian to reform the empire, and for Diocletian to reform the administration.

He was so well liked that Constantine claimed Claudius Gothicus as an ancestor.

+7
Level 41
Sep 6, 2014
Also, I wonder how many of those who guessed Julius Nepos actually meant to write His name (as opposed to that of a certain 1st-century BC not-quite-emperor) (:
+1
Level 86
Dec 25, 2014
I thought you were talking about another Nepos, then I realized that Julius validates him. Well, I actually typed Nepos, but I must be one of the only ones ^^.
+1
Level 63
Nov 13, 2016
I was trying for Didius Julianus
+4
Level 88
Oct 30, 2019
Nepotism
+1
Level 64
Jul 24, 2015
2.39 left

good brain exercise.

+1
Level 64
Aug 21, 2015
3.29 left my best yet.

These are a bit addictive.

+1
Level 8
Apr 18, 2016
I got 51 = 61%!!

Yeah! But unfortunately now it only beats 90.3% of test takers...

:(

+1
Level 8
Apr 21, 2016
I completed the entire thing with 1:13 seconds left! I didn't even look on the internet! My teacher challenged me to learn them all, that's why.
+1
Level 47
Jun 28, 2016
48 but forgot some easy ones like valentinian despite his name being a dynasty listed
+1
Level 71
Dec 21, 2016
Caligula was a nickname. His real name was Gauis, which did not accept.
+4
Level 86
Dec 21, 2016
Oh, well, the full name of the emperors is a complex matter. That's why most are known (and studied by the historians since Suetonius) by just one of their names or cognomina, and three of them (Caligula, Caracalla and Elagabalus) are known by a popular nickname, which probably was already used during his reign.

Anyway, Caligula is one of the simplest cases, he was indeed born as Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus and just added Augustus to his list of cognomina when he became emperor.

+2
Level 76
Jul 3, 2017
And a nickname that you wouldn't use in front of him at that
+1
Level 37
Apr 1, 2021
same for Caracalla. He was another Antoninus, a caracalla was a gaulish cloak that liked to wear, sort of like Caligula and his little army boots.

But if we're gonna name emperors, Caligula and Caracalla are now pretty much the standard when referring to these guys. no need to be pedantic about it in a quick quiz!

+1
Level 88
Dec 21, 2016
I like these kinds of quizzes, but my main gripe, and it's not just with this one, is spelling. Some of these names are ridiculous and it would be nice to a little more forgiving.
+1
Level 33
Jan 2, 2017
what about alalgablus
+4
Level 53
Jan 11, 2017
Thank you Machiavelli for my double digits score.
+1
Level 22
Feb 5, 2017
75/84... Almost there.
+2
Level 68
May 19, 2017
Why are Theodosius I, and his two sons not members of the Theodosian Dynasty? Wikipedia claims that Theodosius I's father was its founder.
+2
Level 78
May 29, 2017
Yeah, this bit is incorrect. The Valentinian dynasty ends with Valentinian II in 392, and then Theodosius gets the throne due to his marriage to Valentinian's sister. His two sons, Arcadius and Honorius, were his oldest sons by a previous marriage, so they had no Valentinian blood at all.
+1
Level 76
Jul 10, 2017
I've been listening to Mike Duncan's massive "History of Rome" podcast for the past few weeks and taking this quiz every day or two. I'm getting pretty good at naming the emperors in order now, at least up to Hadrian (which is where I am in the podcasts right now).
+1
Level 76
Aug 2, 2017
You scored 58/84 = 69%.

This beats or equals 93.2% of test takers

STILL ONLY 4 POINTS!!!

+1
Level 76
Sep 8, 2017
76/84

Probably the most work I've ever put into taking a single quiz. Gotta thank the quiz maker for helping to keep my memory fresh.

...almost done!

+3
Level 76
Sep 16, 2017
84/84!
+2
Level 51
Jun 18, 2018
Check out my quizz about Persian Emperors! https://www.jetpunk.com/user-quizzes/249043/persian-emperors/stats
+1
Level 28
Jun 26, 2018
Can you allow Gaius for Caligula? That was his official name in his lifetime.
+1
Level 66
Jan 26, 2019
Missed Arcadius and Marcian.
+2
Level 45
Mar 3, 2019
67/84 for a 5th grader? Not bad...
+2
Level 82
Apr 10, 2020
That's great, keep on learning :)
+1
Level 21
Apr 21, 2023
That makes me feel dumb. I'm a junior in Highschool and only got 28/84. However, I have never studied any of this.
+1
Level 74
Aug 9, 2019
As up today 26 answers, 4 points granted.

I feel like having a fairly big apple pie for very cheap money.

+1
Level 78
Nov 25, 2020
Not my area of speciality at the moment, but 20 gets me 3/5 points. I know the first 11 and then some other random ones.
+1
Level 51
Jun 16, 2021
Constantinus was the name of "Constantine". He was a Roman emperor and hence had a Latin name, not a British name!
+3
Level 78
Jul 15, 2021
...and Hadrian was Caesar Traianus Hadrianus. But everyone in the English-speaking world knows him as Hadrian. Same with Constantine. It's often the case that the most well-known gain 'local' names as well as their given name.

Mark Antony in Shakespeare was Marcus Antonius.

Etc.

+1
Level 45
Apr 8, 2022
British name? You mean a name from the language from which Welsh, Cornish and Breton came from?
+1
Level 65
Jul 19, 2021
I'm now reading Edward Gibbon's "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" and so decided to take the quiz. I'm also combining that reading with that of Pierra Grimal's "Le siècle d’Auguste" and "La civilisation romaine". Pretty nice to understand Rome's final hours.
+1
Level 64
Oct 27, 2021
Pretty surprised nobody has come WhErE iS cAeSaR
+1
Level 66
Jan 24, 2023
I tried it...
+1
Level 78
Jan 25, 2023
Isn't he the salad dressing dude?
+1
Level 60
Apr 8, 2022
You should probably accept some alternative names, for example Octavian or Octavius for Augustus, Alexander Severus for Severus Alexander(?!) Etc.
+1
Level 65
Apr 8, 2022
100% good quiz
+1
Level 45
Apr 8, 2022
Considering how few emperors didn't end up getting killed after just a short period, it's a wonder anyone ever wanted the job!
+1
Level 48
Apr 10, 2022
I was really hoping poor old Silbannacus would be on here
+1
Level 44
Apr 11, 2022
WTF happened in 238?
+3
Level 47
Jun 4, 2023
As a rebellion against Maximinus Thrax the african legions declared Gordian I and Gordian II emperors. The senate hailed them Augustus. A legion loyal to Thrax then killed Gordian II which led to his father comitting suicide. The senate then hailed Pupienus and Balbinus Augustus, which the people did not like so Gordian III was hailed Caesar (Junioremperor). Thrax marched on Italy and got killed by his troops. The pretorians did not like the decision that Pupienus and Balbinus became emperors so they killed them. To not get another rebellion they hailed Gordian III Augustus so they would have a popular puppet to control.

The incident is called Year of the six emperors

+1
Level 51
Jan 17, 2023
49 im gettin better
+1
Level 51
Jan 19, 2023
42 in order🐂🐂🐂 so good
+1
Level 51
Jan 20, 2023
84/84 by order working effects a lot
+1
Level 51
Jan 20, 2023
In 4 days 20 to 84 by learn all of them(:not that hard
+1
Level 60
Aug 16, 2023
Funny to see that only 34% got the "96–98" one. He is definitely not the most famous one, but there is a big clue to find him :D
+1
Level 33
Mar 14, 2024
SKILL ISSUE EVERYONE I FINISHED WITH 2 MINUTES AND HALF LEFT YOU ALL SUCK