Editing List of Byzantine emperors (section)

== Constantinian dynasty (306–363) ==
{{Main|Constantinian dynasty}}
{{Legend|#EBEBEB|({{Hash-tag}}) – Ambiguous legitimacy{{Efn|Unless otherwise noted to be some other ambiguity, the emperors marked to be of ambiguous legitimacy are those who fulfill one or more of the inclusion criteria above, but who are not universally regarded by scholars to count as legitimate. In most cases, such figures are those who held power only briefly, and/or who in times of more than one emperor held one of the capitals but never achieved the full recognition of the other emperor(s).{{Sfn|Vagi|1999|pp=415, 463, 529}}{{Sfn|Omissi|2018|p=24}}{{Sfn|Seibt|2018|p=213}}{{Sfn|Tilemachos|2015|p=243}}|name=ambig}}}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; text-align:center"
|+ {{Sronly|Constantinian dynasty}}
! scope=col width="7%" | Portrait
! scope=col width="17%" | Name
! scope=col width="26%" | Reign
! scope=col width="50%" | Notes

|-
| [[File:Constantine Chiaramonti Inv1749 (cropped).jpg|100px|alt=bust]]
! scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA" | '''[[Constantine the Great|Constantine I]]'''<br/ >"the Great"<br/>{{Small|''Flavius Valerius Constantinus''}}
| 25 July 306 – 22 May 337<br/>{{Small|({{Age in years, months and days|306|7|25|337|5|22}})<br/>'''West'''; then '''whole'''}}
| Born at [[Naissus]] {{c.}} 272 as the son of the ''[[Augustus (title)|Augustus]]'' [[Constantius Chlorus|Constantius]] and [[Helena of Constantinople|Helena]]. Proclaimed ''Augustus'' of the western empire upon the death of his father on 25 July 306, he became sole ruler of the western empire after the [[Battle of the Milvian Bridge]] in 312. In 324, he defeated the eastern ''Augustus'' [[Licinius]] and re-united the empire under his rule, reigning as sole emperor until his death. Constantine completed the administrative and military reforms begun under [[Diocletian]], who had begun ushering in the [[Dominate]] period. Actively interested in Christianity, he played a crucial role in its development and the Christianization of the Roman world, through his convocation of the [[First Ecumenical Council]] at [[Nicaea]]. He is said to have received baptism on his deathbed. He also reformed coinage through the introduction of the gold ''[[Solidus (coin)|solidus]]'', and initiated a large-scale building program, crowned by the re-foundation the city of [[Byzantium]] as "New Rome", popularly known as [[Constantinople]]. He was regarded as the model of all subsequent Byzantine emperors.<ref>{{ODB|last=Gregory|first=Timothy E.|last2=Cutler|first2=Anthony|title=Constantine I the Great|pages=498–500}}</ref> His reign was marked by greater imperial control over the Eastern Church and the construction of new churches, especially at the holy places sacred to Christianity.{{sfn|Lygo|2022|pp=25–26}} To this day, Constantine is venerated as a saint by the eastern Orthodox church.{{sfn|Pohlsander|1996|pp=92–93}}

|-
| [[File:Bust of Constantius II (Mary Harrsch) (cropped).jpg|100px|alt=bust]]
! scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA" | '''[[Constantius II]]'''<br/>{{Small|''Flavius Julius Constantius''}}
| 9 September 337 – 3 November 361<br/>{{Small|({{Age in years, months and days|337|9|9|361|11|3}})<br/>'''East'''; then '''whole'''}}
| Born on 7 August 317, as the second surviving son of Constantine I, he inherited the eastern third of Roman Empire upon his father's death, sole Roman Emperor from 353, after the overthrow of the western usurper [[Magnentius]]; after two years on the run, the latter committed suicide.{{sfn|Lygo|2022|p=28}} Constantius' reign saw military activity on all frontiers, and dissension between [[Arianism]], favoured by the emperor, and the supporters of the [[Nicene Creed]]. In his reign, Constantinople was accorded equal status to Rome, and the original [[Hagia Sophia]] was built. Constantius appointed [[Constantius Gallus]] and [[Julian the Apostate|Julian]] as ''[[Caesar (title)|Caesares]]'', and died on his way to confront Julian, who had risen up against him.<ref>{{ODB|last=Gregory|first=Timothy E.|title=Constantius II|page=524}}</ref>

|-
| [[File:Juliancng8851obverse.jpg|100px|alt=coin]]
! scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA" | '''[[Julian (emperor)|Julian]]''' "the Apostate"<br/>{{Small|''Flavius Claudius Julianus''}}
| 3 November 361 – 26 June 363<br/>{{Small|({{Age in years, months and days|361|11|3|363|6|26}})}}
| Born in May 332 at Constantinople (the first emperor born there),{{sfn|Lygo|2022|p=30}} Julian was the grandson of Constantius Chlorus and cousin of Constantius II. Proclaimed by his army in Gaul, he became the legitimate Emperor upon the death of Constantius. Julian has been described as the last pagan emperor of the Roman Empire and was generally opposed to Christianity.{{sfn|Lygo|2022|pp=30–31}} He was killed on campaign against [[Sassanid Persia]], despite his initial success in surrounding the ancient city of Ctesiphon. For his adherence to the old Roman gods and rejection of the Christian faith, he became known as Julian the Apostate.{{sfn|Lygo|2022|p=33}}

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! colspan=4 | &nbsp;

|-
| [[File:Solidus of Jovian2 (obverse).jpg|100px|alt=coin]]
! scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA" | '''[[Jovian (emperor)|Jovian]]'''<br/>{{Small|''Jovianus''}}{{Efn|From the fourth century, emperors and other high-profile men of non-aristocratic birth often bore the name "Flavius", the family name of the Constantinian dynasty. Because it was often used as a status marker rather than personal name,{{Sfn|Cameron|1988|pp=26, 28, 33}} "Flavius" will generally be omitted in the following entries for simplicity.}}
| 27 June 363 – 17 February 364<br/>{{Small|({{Age in years, months and days|363|6|27|364|2|17}})}}
| Born in {{Circa|332}}, Jovian hailed from a military family and was captain of the guards (''protector domesticus'') under both Constantius II and Julian.{{sfn|Elton|2018|p=119}} He was elected by the army upon Julian's death. After assuming power, Jovian withdrew Roman forces from Persia and made an unpopular peace with them, which lasted until the early sixth-century.{{sfn|Elton|2018|p=120}} Following an autumn spent in Antioch, he died of natural causes in central Anatolia and was buried in Constantinople.{{sfn|Elton|2018|p=120}}
|}