The genius of Rome's first emperor, Octavian, was to maintain the trappings and institutions of the old Republic, even as he stripped them of meaning, subordinating every vehicle of governance to his will. Octavian claimed to have "saved" the Republic from chaos. In fact, the Empire was institutionalized chaos, in which military force rather than precedent and law became the arbiter of power. Only as long as an emperor was strong, his knives long enough to keep the wolves at bay, could stability and peace be maintained. Although Rome, especially in the early years of the empire, had a number of cunning and able rulers, power transitions were rarely peaceful. Plotting by subordinates, palace coups, assassinations, and civil war became the rule, with the normal path to power through the military and the praetorian guard.
And thus did Rome, the city that had sworn eternal enmity against tyranny, become a slave not just of kings, but of emperors more despotic than any Tarquin.
| 726 - 767 A.U.C. | CAESAR OCTAVIANUS (Augustus) |
| 767 - 790 A.U.C. | TIBERIUS Claudius Nero |
| 790 - 794 A.U.C. | Gaius CALIGULA |
| 794 - 808 A.U.C. | Tiberius CLAUDIUS Drusus |
| 808 - 821 A.U.C. | NERO |
| 821 - 822 A.U.C. | Servius Sulpicius GALBA |
| 822 - 832 A.U.C. | Titus Flavius VESPASIANUS |
| 832 - 834 A.U.C. | TITUS Flavius Vespasianus |
| 834 - 849 A.U.C. | Titus Flavius DOMITIANUS |
| 849 - 851 A.U.C. | Marcus Cocceius NERVA |
| 851 - 870 A.U.C. | Marcus Ulpius TRAIANUS |
| 870 - 891 A.U.C. | Publius Aelius HADRIANUS |
| 891 - 914 A.U.C. | Titus Aurelius ANTONINUS PIUS |
| 914 - 933 A.U.C. | MARCUS AURELIUS Antoninus |
| 933 - 945 A.U.C. | Marcus Aurelius COMMODUS Antoninus |
| 946 A.U.C. | Publius Helvius PERTINAX |
| 946 - 964 A.U.C. | L. SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS |
| 964 - 970 A.U.C. | CARACALLA |
| 970 - 971 A.U.C. | M. Opellius (Severus) MACRINUS |
| 971 - 975 A.U.C. | ELAGABALUS |
| 975 - 988 A.U.C. | Marcus Aurelius SEVERUS ALEXANDER |
| 988 - 991 A.U.C. | G. Julius Verus MAXIMINUS |
| 991 - 997 A.U.C. | Marcus Antonius GORDIANUS III |
| 997 - 1002 A.U.C. | M. Julius PHILIPPUS "ARABS" |
| 1002 - 1004 A.U.C. | G. Messius Quintus Traianus DECIUS |
| 1004 - 1006 A.U.C. | G. Vibius Trebonianus GALLUS |
| 1006 - 1012 A.U.C. | P. Licinius VALERIANUS |
| 1012 - 1021 A.U.C. | P. Licinius Egnatius GALLIENUS |
| 1021 - 1023 A.U.C. | M. Aurelius CLAUDIUS II "Gothicus" |
| 1023 A.U.C. | Marcus Aurelius Claudius QUINTILLUS |
| 1023 - 1028 A.U.C. | L. Domitius AURELIANUS |
| 1028 - 1029 A.U.C. | M. Claudius TACITUS |
| 1029 A.U.C. | Marcus Annius FLORIANUS |
| 1029 - 1035 A.U.C. | M. Aurelius PROBUS |
| 1035 - 1036 A.U.C. | M. Aurelius CARUS |
| 1037 - 1058 A.U.C. | G. Aurelius Valerius DIOCLETIANUS |
| 1059 - 1090 A.U.C. | Flavius Valerius CONSTANTINUS I THE GREAT |
| 1090 - 1114 A.U.C. | Rule of Constantine's sons |
| 1114 - 1116 A.U.C. | JULIANUS "the Apostate" |
| 1116 - 1117 A.U.C. | JOVIANUS |
| 1117 - 1128 A.U.C. | FLAVIUS VALENTINIANUS I |
| 1128 - 1136 A.U.C. | GRATIANUS |
| 1132 - 1148 A.U.C. | FLAVIUS THEODOSIUS "the Great" |
| 1148 - 1176 A.U.C. | HONORIUS "Emperor of the West" |
| 1176 - 1178 A.U.C. | Johannes "usurper" |
| 1178 - 1208 A.U.C. | VALENTINIAN III "Emperor of the West" |
| 1208 - 1226 A.U.C. | Puppet rulers in the West, controlled by the Ostrogoths |
| 1228 - 1229 A.U.C. | ROMULUS AUGUSTUS "Emperor of the West" |