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By Heraclius
There are a significant number of Emperors who died in mysterious circumstances or whose fate is not known. This list is not complete.
I. Roman Emperor who died of natural causes/disease etc.
Emperor and Year of Death - Cause of Death
Augustus AD 14 - Natural Causes
Tiberius AD 37 - Natural Causes
Vespasian AD 79 - Natural Causes
Titus AD 81 - Fever
Nerva AD 98 - Natural Causes / Age
Trajan AD 117 - Dropsy
Hadrian AD 138 - Natural Causes
Antoninus Pius AD 161 - Fever
Lucius Verus AD 169 - Food Poisoning
Marcus Aurelius AD 180 - Died on campaign
Septimius Severus AD 211 - Natural Causes
Claudius II Gothicus AD 270 - Plague
Constantius I Chlorus AD 306 - Natural Causes
Galerius AD 311 - Natural Causes
Diocletian AD 313 - Natural Causes in retirement
Constantine I the Great AD 337 - Natural Causes
Valentinian I AD 375 - Burst Blood Vessel
Theodosius I the Great AD 395 - Natural Causes
Arcadius AD 408 - Natural Causes
Constantius III AD 421 - Natural Causes
Honorius AD 423 - Natural Causes
Marcian AD 457 - Possibly Gangrene
Anicius Olybrius AD 472 - Natural Causes
Leo I AD 474 - Dysentery
Leo II AD 474 - Unknown Disease
Zeno AD 491 - Natural Causes
Anastasius AD 518 - Natural Causes
Justin I AD 527 - Natural Causes
Justinian I the Great AD 565 - Natural Causes
Justin II AD 578 - Natural Causes
Tiberius II Constantine AD 582 - Unknown Illness
Constantine III AD 641 - Tuberculosis
Constantine IV AD 685 - Dysentery
Leo III the Isaurian AD 741 - Natural Causes
Constantine V AD 775 - Died on Campaign
Leo IV AD 780 - Natural Causes
Theophilus AD 842 - Natural Causes
Leo VI AD 912 - Natural Causes
Alexander III AD 913 - Natural Causes
Constantine VII Porphyrogenitos "The Purple-born" AD 959 - Natural Causes
John I Tzimisces AD 976 - Natural Causes
Basil II Bulgaroktonus "The Bulgar Slayer" AD 1025 - Natural Causes
Constantine VIII AD 1028 - Natural Causes
Michael IV AD 1041 - Natural Causes
Constantine IX AD 1055 - Natural Causes
Michael VI Stratioticus AD 1057 - Natural Causes
Constantine X Ducas AD 1067 - Natural Causes
Alexius I Comnenus AD 1118 - Natural Causes
Manual I Comnenus Megas AD 1180 - Fever
Michael VIII Palaeologus AD 1282 - Natural Causes
Andronicus III AD 1341 - Natural Causes
John V Palaeologus AD 1391 - Natural Causes
Manual II Palaeologus AD 1425 - Natural Causes
John VIII Palaeologus AD 1448 - Natural Causes
TOTAL: 55 Roman/Byzantine Emperors died of Natural cause/Diseases
II. Emperors who died by Assassination/murder/execution
Emperor and Year of Death - Cause of Death
Gaius Caligula AD 41 - Conspiracy led by Praetorian guard officers
Claudius AD 54 - Poisoned, probably by Agrippina
Galba AD 69 - Murdered by Otho
Vitellius AD 69 - Murdered by troops of Vespasian
Domitian AD 96 - Stabbed to death by a steward
Commodus AD 192 - Strangled by a wrestler
Didius Julianus AD 193 - Decapitated on the orders of Septimius Severus
Geta AD 211 - Murdered by Caracalla
Caracalla AD 217 - Assassinated by an attendant
Macrinus AD 218 - Executed
Diadumenian AD 218 - Executed by decapitation
Elagabalus AD 222 - Assassinated
Alexander Severus AD 235 - Murdered in a legionary mutiny
Maximinus Thrax AD 238 - Murdered by the Praetorians
Pupienus Maximus AD 238 - Murdered by the Praetorians
Balbinus AD 238 - Murdered by the Praetorians
Phillip the Arab AD 249 - Murdered by Decius
Gallus AD 253 - Murdered in a Legionary Mutiny
Volusian AD 253 - Murdered in a Legionary Mutiny
Aemilian AD 253 - Murdered in a Legionary Mutiny
Gallienus AD 268 - Murdered at some point during the battle of Naissus
Aurelian AD 272 - Murdered by the Praetorians
Tacitus AD 276 - Assassinated, probably by his own soldiers
Florian AD 276 - Assassinated by his own soldiers
Probus AD 282 - Murdered by his own soldiers
Carinus AD 285 - Assassinated by a tribune
Constans I AD 350 - Murdered by Magnentius
Gratian AD 383 - Murdered by rebellious generals
Valentinian III AD 455 - Assassinated by followers of Flavius Aetius
Petronius Maximus AD 455 - Killed either by rioters or a roman soldier
Anthemius AD 472 - Executed by Ricimir
Julius Nepos AD 480 - Murdered by his own soldiers
Maurice I AD 602 - Murdered during a mutiny by mercenaries
Phocas "the Tyrant" AD 610 - Executed by Heraclius personally and beheaded
Constans II AD 668 - Assassinated by his chamberlain
Leontis AD 705 - Executed by Justinian II
Tiberius III AD 705 - Executed by orders of Justinian II
Justinian II "Rhinotmetus" AD 711 - Executed during a rebellion
Leo V "the Armenian" AD 820 - Assassinated
Michael III AD 867 - Assassinated by Basil the Macedonian
Nicephoros II Phocas AD 969 - Assassinated by John Tzimisces
Romanus III AD 1034 - Assassinated, possibly by his wife via poison
Alexius II Comnenus AD 1183 - Murdered or strangled with a bow string on the orders of Andronicus Comnenus
TOTAL: 43 Emperors died from Assassination/murder/execution
III. Deposed/blinded/exiled/mutilated/imprisoned/tortured or abdicated
Emperor and Year of Event - Event
Diocletian AD 305 - Voluntary abdication
Maximian AD 305-308 - Forced Abdication (two times)
Licinius AD 324 - Abdicated and later executed by order of Constantine
Majorian AD 461 - Forced abdication by Ricimir
Glyerius AD 474 - Forced Abdication by Julius Nepos
Romulus Augustulus AD 476 - Deposed by Odoacer
Heracleonas AD 641 - Deposed and murtilated
Justinian II AD 695 - Deposed, mutilated, and exiled
Leontius AD 696 - Deposed, Imprisoned and mutilated by Tiberius III
Tiberius III AD 705 - Deposed by Justinian II
Philippicus Bardanes AD 713 - Deposed and blinded by two of his generals
Anastasius II AD 715 - Deposed by Theodosius III
Theodosius III AD 717 - Deposed Abdicated
Constantine VI AD 797 - Deposed and blinded dying from his wounds
Stauracius AD 811 - Deposed by Michael Rhangabes
Michael I Rhangabes AD 813 - Deposed
Romanus I AD 944 - Deposed by his sons
Michael V Calaphates AD 1042 - Deposed in a revolt and blinded
Michael VI Stratioticus AD 1057 - Deposed by rebels
Isaac I Comnenus AD 1059 - Abdicated due to illness
Romanus IV Diogenes AD 1071 - Deposed and blinded
Michael VII Ducas AD 1078 - Abdicated during a revolt
Nicephorus III AD 1081 - Deposed by Alexius Comnenos
Andronicus I Comennus AD 1185 - Deposed and tortured
Isaac II Angelus AD 1195 - Deposed, blinded and imprisoned by Alexius Angelus
Alexius III AD 1203 - Deposed
Alexius IV Angelus AD 1024 - Deposed by Alexius Murtzouphlos
Alexius Murtzouphlos AD 1024 - Fled (deposed) and later blinded
Andronicus II Palaeologus AD 1328 - Abdicated
John VI Cantacuzenus AD 1353 - Abdicated
John V Palaelogus AD 1376-90 - Deposed by Andronicus and then John
Andronicus IV Palaeologus AD 1379 - Partially blinded by John V and later deposed and totally blinded
Total: 33 Emperors
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