Humanities › History & Culture The Age of Accession of Roman Emperors Print Gratian, the youngest Roman Emperor. Print Collector / Getty Images History & Culture Ancient History and Culture Rome Figures & Events Ancient Languages Greece Egypt Asia Mythology & Religion American History African American History African History Asian History European History Genealogy Inventions Latin American History Medieval & Renaissance History Military History The 20th Century Women's History View More By N.S. Gill N.S. Gill Ancient History and Latin Expert M.A., Linguistics, University of Minnesota B.A., Latin, University of Minnesota N.S. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on February 20, 2020 Looking at the callous behavior of several of the young Roman emperors it's hard not to wonder if too much power was thrust upon immature shoulders. The following table shows the approximate age of accession of the Roman emperors. For those emperors with no birth information, the approximate date of accession and the birth year are marked with question marks. Unless otherwise indicated, all dates are A.D. Read More Who Were the Imperial Roman Emperors? By N.S. Gill The Age of Accession of Roman Emperors Mean average age = 41.3Oldest = 79 Gordian IYoungest = 8 Gratian Emperor Birth Year Reign Approximate Age at Accession Augustus 63 B.C. 27 B.C.- 14 A.D. 36 Tiberius 42 B.C. A.D. 14-37 56 Caligula A.D. 12 37-41 25 Claudius 10 B.C. 41-54 51 Nero A.D. 37 54-68 17 Galba 3 B.C. 68-69 65 Otho A.D. 32 69 37 Vitellius 15 69 54 Vespasian 9 69-79 60 Titus 30 79-81 49 Domitian 51 81-96 30 Nerva 30 96-98 66 Trajan 53 98-117 45 Hadrian 76 117-138 41 Antoninus Pius 86 138-161 52 Marcus Aurelius 121 161-180 40 Lucius Verus 130 161-169 31 Commodus 161 180-192 19 Pertinax 126 192-193 66 Didius Julianus 137 193 56 Septimius Severus 145 193-211 48 Pescennius Niger c. 135-40 193-194 55 Clodius Albinus c. 150 193-197 43 Antoninus - Caracalla 188 211-217 23 Geta 189 211 22 Macrinus c. 165 217-218 52 Diadumenianus (son of Macrinus, birth unknown) 218 ? Elagabalus 204 218-22 14 Severus Alexander 208 222-235 14 Maximinus Thrax 173? 235-238 62 Gordian I 159 238 79 Gordian II 192 238 46 Balbinus 178 238 60 Pupienus 164 238 74 Gordian III 225 238-244 13 Philip the Arab ? 244 - 249 ? Decius c. 199 249 - 251 50 Gallus 207 251 - 253 44 Valerian ? 253 - 260 ? Gallienus 218 254 - 268 36 Claudius Gothicus 214? 268 - 270 54 Aurelian 214 270 - 275 56 Tacitus ? 275 - 276 ? Probus 232 276 - 282 44 Carus 252 282 - 285 30 Carinus 252 282 - 285 30 Numerian ? 282 - 285 ? Diocletian 243? 284 - 305 41 Maximian ? 286 - 305 ? Constantius I Chlorus 250? 305 - 306 55 Galerius 260? 305 - 311 45 Licinius 250? 311 - 324 61 Constantine 280? 307 - 337 27 Constans I 320 337 - 350 17 Constantine II 316? 337 - 340 21 Constantius II 317 337 - 361 20 Julian 331 361 - 363 30 Jovian 331 363 - 364 32 Valens 328 364 - 368 36 Gratian 359 367 - 383 8 Theodosius 346 379 - 395 32 Sources • History of Rome, the Emperors• Roman Emperors The Imperial Index (DIR) Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Gill, N.S. "The Age of Accession of Roman Emperors." ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/age-at-accession-of-roman-emperors-120834. Gill, N.S. (2021, February 16). The Age of Accession of Roman Emperors. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/age-at-accession-of-roman-emperors-120834 Gill, N.S. "The Age of Accession of Roman Emperors." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/age-at-accession-of-roman-emperors-120834 (accessed April 23, 2024). copy citation By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies