Byzantines

Macedonian dynasty

Basil I the Macedonian (Βασίλειος Α') (811 - 886, ruled 867 - 886) - married Michael III's widow; died in hunting accident

Leo VI the Wise (Λέων ΣΤ' ο Σοφός) (866 - 912, ruled 886 - 912) – likely either son of Basil I or Michael III;

Alexander III (Αλέξανδρος Γ' του Βυζαντίου) (870 - 913, ruled 912 - 913) – son of Basil I, regent for nephew

Constantine VII the Purple-born (Κωνσταντίνος Ζ' ο Πορφυρογέννητος) (905-959, ruled 913 - 959) – son of Leo VI

Romanus I Lecapenus (Ρωμανός Α' ο Λεκαπηνός) (870 - 948, ruled 919 - 944) – father-in-law of Constantine VII; coemperor, deposed by his sons & entered monastery

Romanus II the Purple-born (Ρωμανός Β' ο Πορφυρογέννητος) (939 - 963, ruled 959 - 963) – son of Constantine VII , his wife was Theophano

Nicephorus II Phocas (Νικηφόρος Β' Φωκάς ή Νικηφόρος Β' ο Φωκάς) (912 - 969, ruled 963 - 969) – Strategos; married Romanus II's widow, regent for Basil; assassinated

John I Tzimisces (Ιωάννης Α' Κουρκούας ο Τσιμισκής) (925 - 976, ruled 969 - 976) – brother-in-law of Romanus II, lover of Nicephorus's wife but banned from marriage, regent for Basil

Basil II the Bulgar-slayer (Βασίλειος Β' ο Βουλγαροκτόνος) (958 - 1025, ruled 976 - 1025) – son of Romanus II

Constantine VIII (Κωνσταντίνος Η')(960-1028, ruled 1025 - 1028) – son of Romanus II; silent coemperor with Basil II

Zoe I (Ζωή Α') ((c. 978 - 1050, ruled 1028 - 1050) – daughter of Constantine VIII

Romanus III Argyrus (Ρωμανός Γ' ο Αργυρός) (968 - 1034, ruled 1028 - 1034) – eparch of Constantinople; Zoe's first husband, arranged by Constantine VIII; murdered

Michael IV the Paphlagonian (Μιχαήλ Δ' ο Παφλαγών) (1010 - 1041, ruled 1034 - 1041) – Zoe's second husband

Michael V the Caulker (Μιχαήλ Ε' ο Καλαφάτης) (1015 - 1042, ruled 1041 - 1042) – Michael IV's nephew, Zoe's adopted son

Theodora (Θεοδώρα) (980 - 1056, ruled 1042) – daughter of Constantine VIII, coempress with Zoe

Constantine IX Monomachus (Κωνσταντίνος Θ' ο Μονομάχος) (1000 - 1055, ruled 1042 - 1055) – Zoe's third husband

Theodora (Θεοδώρα) (ruled 1055 - 1056) – restored

Non-dynastic

Michael VI the Bellicose (Μιχαήλ ΣΤ' ο Στρατιωτικός) (ruled 1056 - 1057) – chosen by Theodora; deposed & entered monastery

Comnenid dynasty

Isaac I Comnenus (Ισαάκιος Α' ο Κομνηνός) (c. 1007 - 1060, ruled 1057 - 1059) – soldier; abdicated in a fit of illness & entered monastery

Doukid dynasty

Constantine X Ducas (Κωνσταντίνος Ι' ο Δούκας) (1006 - 1067, ruled 1059 - 1067) – selected by Michael Psellus the Younger

Michael VII Ducas Quarter-short (Μιχαήλ Ζ' Δούκας Παραπινάκης) (1050 - 1090, ruled 1067 - 1078) – son of Constantine X, originally coemperor with two brothers and Romanus; deposed & entered monastery

Romanus IV and his wife Eudocia Makrembolitissa , who was also the wife of Constantine X

Romanus IV Diogenes (Ρωμανός Δ' Διογένης) (1032 - 1072, ruled 1068 - 1071) – married Constantine X's widow; coemperor, deposed & mutilated to death

Nicephorus III Botaniates

Nicephorus III Botaniates (Νικηφόρος Γ' Βοτανειάτης) (1001 - 1081, ruled 1078 - 1081) – Strategos claiming descent from the Fabii, bigamously married Michael VII's wife; deposed & forced into monastery

Comnenid dynasty (restored)

Alexius I Comnenus (Αλέξιος Α' Κομνηνός) (1057 - 1118, ruled 1081 - 1118) – nephew of Isaac I, married Constantine X's grandniece ( Anna Dalassena , Irene Ducaena , Anna Comnena , Isaac Comnenus)

John II Comnenus the Beautiful (Ιωάννης Β' Κομνηνός o Καλος) (1087 - 1143, ruled 1118 - 1143) – son of Alexius I, died of a hunting accident

• Isaakios Comnenus
  • Maria Comnena, Queen consort of Hungary
  • Theodora Comnena

Manuel I Comnenus the Great (Μανουήλ Α' Κομνηνός ο Μέγας) (1118 - 1180, ruled 1143 - 1180) – son of John II
( Maria Comnena , Porphyrogenita )

Alexius II Comnenus (Αλέξιος B' Κομνηνός) (1169 - 1183, ruled 1180 - 1183) – son of Manuel I; murdered with garrotte

Andronicus I Comnenus (Ανδρόνικος Α' Κομνηνός) (1118 - 1185, ruled 1183 - 1185) – nephew of John II; married Alexius II's widow; deposed, tortured & executed; font of the Komnenid line in Trapezountas

• Maria Comnena, Queen consort of Jerusalem

Angelid dynasty

Isaac II Angelus (Ισαάκιος Β' Άγγελος) (1156 - 1204, ruled 1185 - 1195) – great-grandson of Alexius I, deposed & blinded

Alexius III Angelus (Αλέξιος Γ' Άγγελος) (1153 - 1211, ruled 1195 - 1203) – brother of Isaac II, deposed by IV Crusade & eventually forced into monastery,

• Euphrosyne Doukaina Kamaterina
  • Anna Angelina
    
  • Irene Lascarina

Alexius IV Angelus (Αλέξιος Δ' Άγγελος) (1182 - 1204, ruled 1203 - 1204) – son of Isaac II, deposed & executed

Isaac II Angelus (ruled 1203 - 1204) – largely witless, restored as coemperor with Alexius IV, deposed

Alexius V Ducas the Bushy-eyebrowed (Αλέξιος Ε' Δούκας ο Μούρτζουφλος) (1140 - 1204, ruled 1204) – son-in-law of Alexius III

Seal with inscription includes the Lascarid, Comnenid and Palaiologid Dynasty (Sfragis tou Eusebestatou Oikou ton Laskareon, ....)

Laskarid dynasty (in exile in the Empire of Nicaea)

Theodore I Lascaris (Θεόδωρος Α' Λάσκαρης) (1174 - 1222, ruled 1204 - 1222) – son-in-law of Alexius III

John III Ducas Vatatzes (Ιωάννης Γ' Δούκας Βατάτζης) (1192 - 1254, ruled 1222 - 1254) – son-in-law of Theodore I; epileptic

Theodore II Lascaris (Θεόδωρος Β' Λάσκαρης) (1221 - 1258, ruled 1254 - 1258) – son of John III

John IV Lascaris (Ιωάννης Δ' Λάσκαρης) (1250 - 1305, ruled 1258 - 1261) – son of Theodore II, deposed, blinded & imprisoned by Michael VIII

Palaeologid Dynasty (restored to Constantinople)

Michael VIII Palaeologus (Μιχαήλ Η' Παλαιολόγος) (1224 - 1282, ruled 1259 - 1282) – Strategos, regent for John IV Lascaris; great-grandson of Alexius III Angelus

Andronicus II Palaeologus the Elder (Ανδρόνικος Β' ο Γέρος) (1258 - 1332, ruled 1282 - 1328) – son of Michael VIII; abdicated

Andronicus III Palaeologus the Younger (Ανδρόνικος Γ' Παλαιολόγος ο Νέος) (1297 - 1341, ruled 1328 - 1341) – grandson of Andronicus II

John V Palaeologus (Ιωάννης Ε' Παλαιολόγος) (1332 - 1391, ruled 1341 - 1347) – son of Andronicus III, deposed by John VI

John VI Cantacuzenus (Ιωάννης Στ' Καντακουζηνός) (1292 - 1383, ruled outright 1347 - 1354) – father-in-law of John V; deposed & entered monastery as Ioasaph Christodoulus

John V Palaeologus (ruled 1354 - 1376) – restored, deposed by Andronicus IV

Andronicus IV Palaeologus (Ανδρόνικος Δ' Παλαιολόγος) (1348 - 1385, ruled 1376 - 1379) – son of John V, half-blinded following revolt, later succeeded & was deposed, revolted a third time

John V Palaeologus (ruled 1379 - 1390) – restored, deposed

John VII Palaeologus (Ιωάννης Ζ' Παλαιολόγος) (1370 - 1408, ruled 1390) – son of Andronicus IV

John V Palaeologus (ruled 1390 - 1391) – restored

Manuel II Palaeologus (Μανουήλ Β' Παλαιολόγος) (1350 - 1425, ruled 1391 - 1425) – son of John V

John VII Palaeologus (ruled 1399 - 1402) – restored as coemperor

John VIII Palaeologus, bust by Antonio Averlino also known as Filarete (Greek "lover of virtue")

John VIII Palaeologus (Ιωάννης Η' Παλαιολόγος) (1392 - 1448, ruled 1425 - 1448) – son of Manuel II

Constantine XI Palaeologus Dragatses (Κωνσταντίνος ΙΑ' Παλαιολόγος Δραγάτσης) (1405 - 1453, ruled 1449 - 1453) – son of Manuel II, never crowned, died on the walls

Osmanli

In 1453 Mehmed II overthrew the Byzantine Empire and claimed the title of Caesar; his successors continued this claim. See Osmanli for the complete list of Ottoman sultans.

Palaeologid Dynasty (in exile)

Thomas Palaeologus (Θωμάς Παλαιολόγος) (1409 or 10 - 1465) – brother of Constantine XI; died in exile in Rome

Andreas Palaeologus (Ανδρέας Παλαιολόγος) (1453 - 1502) – son of Thomas; created Despot by Pope Pius II, self-styled imperator Constantinopolitanus; sold titles to Charles VIII in 1494 & granted the remainder to King Ferran II of Aragon and Queen Isabel of Castille in his will.

Patriarch Photius I of Constantinople

Patriarch Germanus II of Constantinople

Patriarch Michael I Cerularius of Constantinople

John Malalas

Michael Maleinos