how many roman emperors were there

Historians do not agree on a single exact number of Roman emperors, but most modern counts fall in the range of about 70–80 rulers from Augustus to the fall of the Western Empire in 476 CE. The total can be pushed well above 100 if every short‑lived usurper and claimant is included.

Why the number varies

Different definitions of emperor lead to different totals. Key questions are:

• Do you start with Julius Caesar or with Augustus in 27 BCE?

• Do you stop in 476 CE with Romulus Augustulus, or continue with the so‑called Byzantine emperors to 1453?

• Do you count only widely recognized emperors, or also usurpers who briefly held power over a province or army?

Because of these choices, scholarly and popular lists typically give:

• Around 70–80 emperors for the period Augustus → Romulus Augustulus.

• Up to roughly 130–140 if every serious usurper and rival claimant is added.

Examples of common counts

Several modern compilations illustrate the spread:

• One detailed overview states that “approximately 70 Roman emperors reigned from Augustus (27 BC) to Romulus Augustus (476 AD).”

• A structured list site gives 77 emperors for 27 BC–476 AD, explicitly counting its set of “Roman emperors in order.”

• An educational summary notes “over 70 Roman emperors” across the principate and dominate phases.

Ancient writers also disagreed. Festus in the 4th century counted 43 emperors from Augustus to Jovian, while another source effectively yields 41 emperors up to Constantine I, showing that even near-contemporaries produced different official‑style tallies.

Short, practical answer

If someone on a forum asks “how many Roman emperors were there,” a clear, defensible short answer is:

• About 70–80 emperors in the unified Roman and later Western Roman Empire (27 BCE–476 CE),
• Rising to around 130–140 if you include most usurpers and claimants, and far more if you extend the line through the Eastern (Byzantine) Empire to 1453.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.