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Roman Imperial Portraiture
(Rome or Bust)

"The identification of portrait busts of Roman worthies is an old and perhaps harmless sport. It is incurably unscientific, and if it has improved in the ages of scientific archaeology this is not because archaeologists are willing to be less silly but because more material has become easy to compare."

- Anthony M. Clark, Bulletin, Rhode Island School of Design, Museum Notes, May 1958, 3

  Info

This list contains the emperors and some of the usurpers of imperial Rome up to 400 AD. The links access a portrait gallery of Roman emperors and their families.

We are slowly adding portraits. If you have a specific need for anything not shown here, feel free to email us and we'll check our files.

 

Roman emperors and related portraits through the 4th century:

 
Julio-Claudian Emperors and their Relatives
Augustus 31 BC-14 CE First emperor of Rome  
  Livia   Wife of Augustus. Mother of Drusus the Elder and Tiberius by Tiberius Claudius Nero.  
  Gaius Octavius   Augustus's father.  
  Julius Caesar   Augustus's great-uncle, dictator of Rome.  
  Marcus Agrippa   Augustus's son-in-law.  
  Julia the Elder   Daughter of Augustus.  
  Agrippa Postumus   Son of Marcus Agrippa and Julia the Elder.  
  Octavia (the Younger)   Sister of Augustus.  
  Mark Antony   Marcus Antonius, Triumvirate member and Octavia's husband.  
  Brutus   Caesar's friend and assassin, named as second heir, behind Augustus.  
  Cleopatra   Co-ruler of Egypt. Mistress of Caesar. Conquered by Augustus.  
  Antonia the Younger   Augustus's niece - daughter of Octavia and Marc Antony, Octavia's 2nd husband.  
  Gaius Caesar   Son of Marcus Agrippa and Julia.  
  Lucius Caesar   2nd son of Marcus Agrippa and Julia.  
  Marcellus   Augustus's nephew - son of Octavia and Gaius Claudius Marcellus.  
  Agrippina the Elder   Daughter of Marcus Agrippa by Julia the Elder. Granddaughter of Augustus.  
Tiberius 14 - 37 CE    
  Drusus the Elder   Brother of Tiberius. Step-son of Augustus.  
Caligula (Gaius) 37 - 41    
  Agrippina the Younger   Caligula's sister. Daughter of Germanicus.  
  Germanicus   Husband of Agrippina the Elder. Father of Caligula.  
  Claudius 41 - 54    
  Nero 54 - 68    
  Claudia Octavia   Nero's first wife. Daughter of Claudius and Messalina.  
  Poppaea   Nero's second wife.  

 

Civil War and the Flavians
Galba 68 CE    
Otho 69    
Vitellius 69    
Vespasian 69 - 79    
Titus 79 - 81    
  Julia Titi   Titus's daughter.  
Domitian 81 - 96    
  Domitia   Domitian's wife.  

 

The Adoptive Emperors
Nerva 96 - 98    
Trajan 98 - 117    
  Plotina   Trajan's wife.  
  Marciana   Trajan's sister.  
Hadrian 117 - 138    
  Lucius Aelius   Chosen by Hadrian as his successor. Died before Hadrian.  
  Sabina   Hadrian's wife.  
  Matidia   Sabina's mother  
  Matidia the Younger   Sabina's sister  
  Antinous   Hadrian's boyfriend (or "favorite" as they like to say in the Vatican)  
Antoninus Pius 138 - 161    
  Faustina the Elder   Antoninus's wife.  
Marcus Aurelius 161 - 180    
  Faustina the Younger   Marcus's wife. Daughter of Antoninus Pius.  
Lucius Verus 161 - 166 (co-emperor of Marcus Aurelius)  
  Lucilla   Wife of Lucius Verus. Daughter of Marcus Aurelius.  
Commodus 180 - 192   (see also: the Getty Commodus)  
  Crispina   Sister of Commodus. Daughter of Marcus Aurelius.  

 

Civil Wars - 193-197
Pertinax 192 - 193    
Didius Julianus 193    
  Manlia Scantilla   Wife of Didius Julianus  
Pescennius Niger 193 - 194    
Clodius Albinus 193 - 197    

 

The Severan Dynasty
Septimius Severus 193 - 211    
  Julia Domna   Wife of Septimius Severus  
Caracalla (Antoninus) 211 - 217 Son of Severus  
  Plautilla   Wife of Caracalla  
Geta 211 Son of Severus  
Macrinus 217 - 218    
Diadumenian 218 Son of Macrinus  
Elagabalus 218 - 222    
  Julia Soaemias   Mother of Elagabalus  
  Julia Maesa   Grandmother of Elagabalus and Severus Alexander  
Severus Alexander 222 - 235    
  Julia Mamaea   Mother of Severus Alexander (Alexander Severus)  

 

The Soldier Emperors  ("Crisis & Decline")
Maximinus Thrax 235 - 238    
Maximus 238 Son of Maximinus  
Gordian I 238    
Gordian II 238 Son of Gordian I  
Pupienus (Maximus) 238    
Balbinus 238    
Gordian III 238 - 244 Grandson of Gordian I and nephew of Gordian II  
Philip the Arab (Philip I) 244 - 249    
  Otacilia Severa   Wife of Philip  
Philip II 247 - 249    
Decius 249 - 251    
  Herennia Etruscilla   Wife of Decius  
Herennius Etruscus 251 Eldest son of Decius  
Hostilian 251 Second son of Decius  
Trebonianus Gallus 251 - 253    
Volusianus 251 - 253 Son of Trebonian  
Valerian 253 - 260    
  Mariniana   Wife of Valerian  
Aemilianus 253    
Gallienus 253 - 268    
  Salonina   Wife of Gallienus  
Saloninus 260 Son of Gallienus  

 

More Soldier Emperors  ("Recovery")
Claudius Gothicus 268 - 270    
Quintillus 270 Brother of Claudius  
Aurelian 270 - 275    
  Severina   Wife of Aurelian  
Tacitus 275 - 276    
Florian 276    
Probus 276 - 282    
Carus 282 - 283    
Numerian 283 - 284 Son of Carus  
Carinus 283 - 285 Son of Carus  

 

The Tetrachs
Diocletian 284 - 305    
Maximian 285 - 310    
Constantius Chlorus 296 - 306    
Galerius 293 - 311    
Maximinus Daia 305 - 313    
Severus 305 - 307    
Maxentius 306 - 312    

 

The Constantinian Era
Licinius 308 - 324    
  Licinius II   Caesar, son of Licinius I  
Constantine 306 - 337    
  Fausta   Wife of Constantine  
Constantine II 337 - 340    
Constans 337 - 350    
Nepotianus 350    
Constantius II 337 - 361    
Julian 361 - 363    
Jovian 363 - 364    
Valentinian 364 - 375    
Valens 364 - 378    
Gratian 367 - 383    
Valentinian II 375 - 392    
Theodosius 378 - 395    
  Flaccilla   Wife of Theodosius I  
Honorius 393 - 423    
Arcadius 395 - 408    

 

The Secessionist Empires
Postumus 260 - 269  (Romano-Gallic)  
Laelianus 269  (Romano-Gallic)  
Marius 269  (Romano-Gallic)  
Victorinus 269 - 271  (Romano-Gallic)  
Tetricus 271 - 274  (Romano-Gallic)  
Tetricus II 274  (Romano-Gallic)  
Vabalathus 270 - 272  (Palmyra)  
Carausius 285 - 310  (Romano-British)  
Allectus 285 - 310  (Romano-British)