Jump to content

List of claims to the title of the Roman Empire

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of claims to the Roman Republic (509 BCE - 27 BCE), Roman Empire (27 BCE - 395 CE), and its successor states such as the Eastern Roman Empire (commonly known as Byzantium or the Byzantine Empire) or Western Roman Empire.

Information

[edit]
The Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David. (2/12/1804)
The Coronation of Napoleon - Jacques-Louis David

Qualification

[edit]

For a claim to qualify, there must be some sense to the claim, like a popular, governmental, personal, hierarchical or indirect (mostly implied) claim, these we shall will break down simply:

  • Popular: A population has a cultural link or claim to the Roman Empire, such as the people of Fascist Italy under Mussolini, who widely embraced the idea that their nation was the rightful heir to Rome, using Roman symbolism, rhetoric, and imperial ambitions to justify their regime.
  • Governmental: A singular government claims to be the heir to the Roman Empire, such as the Eastern Roman Empire, which directly continued the Roman state and governance.
  • Personal: A singular person has a (often self-proclaimed) claim to the title of Roman Emperor and/or the lands of the Roman Empire, such as Napoleon Bonaparte, who styled himself as the successor to Rome through his coronation as Emperor and revival of imperial institutions.
  • Hierarchical: A singular person or group of people claim to be the direct descendant(s) of a Roman politician, usually a well-known one, such as Julius Caesar.
  • Indirect: An unofficial, however implied claim, like the Sultanate of Rum using the Turkish name for the Eastern Roman people as its own.

If there is both, for example, a popular and governmental claim from the same nation, they should be listed separately. In the case of a popular claim, the endorser of the claim can (though in a case like the Eastern Roman Empire, where its popular claim lasted over many rulers, should simply not be listed) be listed instead of a claimant, this can be marked with (E), this can also be used in special cases like the concept of Russia being Third Rome.

To be added to the list of claims made by parties unaffiliated with their subject, a claim must have been purported externally and never endorsed or encouraged by the supposed claimant. For example, the Kingdom of Soissons, despite its ruler Syagrius never having claimed the title, was sometimes referred to as the Kingdom of the Romans and him as the King of the Romans by outsiders.

List

[edit]

Self-proclaimed claimants

[edit]
Original Claimant Claimant's primary titles or popular claim location Claim Initial Claim Date Type Supported by papacy Further Information
Benito Mussolini Kingdom of Italy, Italian Empire Roman Empire(see info) 1936 CE Popular (cultural) While not a direct claim to the Roman Empire, Benito Mussolini would often portray the Italian Empire as a successor to the Roman Empire, this can be seen in the "Mostra Augustea della romanità" propaganda.
Constantine The Great Eastern Roman Empire Roman Empire 330 CE Popular (cultural) Until the Great Schism The people of the Eastern Roman Empire often identified as Romaioi, or Romans.[1]
Constantine The Great Eastern Roman Empire Roman Empire 330 CE Governmental Until the Great Schism The Eastern Romans practiced many elements of the original Roman government, such as a centralized imperial authority and the title "Emperor of the Romans." While the Senate's power weakened, the emperor retained control over civil and military matters, continuing Roman legal and imperial traditions.
Otto I Holy Roman Empire Emperor of the Romans 962 CE Governmental Yes Otto I inherited the title of Emperor of the Romans in 962, inheiriting it from the Empire of Francia which had fallen.[2]
Vasily III, Philotheus of Pskov(E) Tsardom of Russia Moscow, Third Rome 1510 CE Governmental No In 1510, Philotheus of Pskov addressed Vasily III as "Tsar" or "Emperor", saying "Two Romes have Fallen, but the third stands, and a fourth there will not be.", this is interpreted to mean that Rome was heretical, Constantinople being under rule of the Ottoman Empire, and therefore Moscow being the new Rome.[3]
Honorius Western Roman Empire Roman Empire 395 CE Popular (cultural) Again, similar to the Eastern and Holy Roman Empire, the people of the Western Roman Empire often called themselves Roman.
Suleiman ibn Qutalmish Sultanate of Rum The name "Rome" in Turkish 1071 CE Indirect No While not a direct claim to Rome, "Rum" was (and still is in modern Turkish) a synonym for the Eastern Roman Empire and its citizens.[4]
Charlemagne Francia Emperor of the Romans 800 CE Governmental Yes Charlemagne was crowned Imperator Romanorum or Emperor of the Romans on Christmas in 800.[5]
Mehmed II Ottoman Empire Emperor of the Romans 1453 CE Popular (cultural) No Following the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Mehmed II adopted the title "Emperor of the Romans" and claimed the Byzantine Empire's legacy. The Ottomans saw themselves as heirs to the Eastern Roman Empire.
Napoleon Bonaparte First French Empire Emperor of the Romans 1804 CE Governmental Yes Claimed succession to the Empire of Francia and crowned himself Emperor of the French with support from Pope Pius VII.[6]
Alexios I Empire of Trebizond Basileus of the Eastern Roman Empire 1204 CE Governmental No Claimed the Roman Imperial title after the Sack of Constantinople in 1204 CE during the Fourth Crusade.[7]
Theodore I Laskaris Empire of Nicaea Basileus of the Eastern Roman Empire 1205 CE Governmental No Following the Sack of Constantinople in 1204, Theodore I Laskaris established the Empire of Nicaea as a Byzantine successor state and declared himself Emperor. Unlike Trebizond, Nicaea maintained the strongest claim to the Roman throne and was widely recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Nicene Empire ultimately reclaimed Constantinople in 1261, restoring the Byzantine Empire under Michael VIII Palaiologos.[8]
Simeon I First Bulgarian Empire Emperor and Autocrat of all Bulgarians and Romans 913 CE Personal No At the beginning of the Byzantine-Bulgarian war of 913-927, Simeon marched south largely unopposed on Constantinople where he was crowned Emperor and Autocrat of all Bulgarians and Romans by Nicholas Mystikos, the Imperial regent and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. The Byzantines would continue to resist the claim and after careful negotiations Simeon’s title was reduced to ‘Emperor of the Bulgarians’ in 924 CE, with the Byzantine emperor reclaiming the title of Emperor of the Romans.[9]

Claims by external parties not associated with their subject

[edit]
Claimant figure, nation or people group Claim Claim basis Further Information
Syagrius, Kingdom of Soissons King of the Romans, Kingdom of the Romans Last remaining rump state of the Western Roman Empire After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE, Syagrius, the magister militum per Gallias, continued to administer a portion of land in what is today northern France.[10] Although he assumed the title of dux (provincial governor), his realm’s status as the last remnant of Rome in the west led nearby barbarians to erroneously refer to him as Rex Romanorum (King of the Romans). The historian Gregory of Tours coined the term ‘Kingdom of the Romans’ for Syagrius’ realm in his writings in the 6th century CE.[11]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Teall, John L., Nicol, Donald MacGillivray. "Byzantine Empire". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/Byzantine-Empire. Accessed 26 February 2025.
  2. ^ Barraclough, Geoffrey, Sullivan, Richard E., Raikar, Sanat Pai. "Holy Roman emperor". Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Aug. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Holy-Roman-emperor. Accessed 3 March 2025.
  3. ^ Meyendorff, John. "Eastern Orthodoxy". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eastern-Orthodoxy. Accessed 25 February 2025.
  4. ^ Wittek, Paul; Heywood, Colin (2013). Rise of the Ottoman Empire. Royal Asiatic Society Books. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-136-51319-0.
  5. ^ Barraclough, Geoffrey. "Holy Roman Empire". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Dec. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/place/Holy-Roman-Empire. Accessed 26 February 2025.
  6. ^ Zelazko, Alicja. "The Coronation of Napoleon". Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Mar. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Coronation-of-Napoleon. Accessed 3 March 2025.
  7. ^ The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Trabzon". Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Nov. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/place/Trabzon-Turkey. Accessed 26 February 2025.
  8. ^ The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "empire of Nicaea". Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Mar. 2016, https://www.britannica.com/place/empire-of-Nicaea. Accessed 26 February 2025.
  9. ^ "A Rome Away From Rome: The First Bulgarian Empire". Tullio Pontecorvo.
  10. ^ "Domain of Soissons (Roman empire)".
  11. ^ "Kingdom of Soissons, the Last Roman Stronghold in Gaul that Survived Ten Years after the Fall of the Western Empire". Antonio García.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_claims_to_the_title_of_the_Roman_Empire&oldid=1299501965"