| Byzas of Megara founded Byzantium | about B. C. 658 |
| Darius Hystaspes, King of Persia | 515 |
| Pausanias of Sparta | 478 |
| First Athenian (Delian) League | 477 |
| Sparta | 440 |
| Alcibiades of Athens | 408 |
| Lysander of Sparta | 405 |
| Spartan League | 404 |
| Thrasybulus of Athens | 390 |
| Second Athenian League | 378 |
| League of Byzantium, Caria, Chios, Cos, and Rhodes | 357 |
| Alexander the Great | 334 |
| Rome | 196 |
| The Free City of Byzantium | 64 |
| Septimius Severus destroyed Byzantium and renamed it Augusta Antonina | A. D. 196 |
| Constantine the Great | 323 |
| Dedicated New Rome | 330 |
| Constantius II | 337 |
| Julian the Apostate | 361 |
| Jovian | 363 |
| Valens | 364 |
| Theodosius I, the Great | 378 |
| Arcadius | 395 |
| Theodosius II | 408 |
| Marcian | 450 |
| Leo I | 457 |
| Leo II | 474 |
| Zeno | 474 |
| Anastasius I | 491 |
| Justin I | 518 |
| Justinian I, the Great | 527 |
| Justin II | 565 |
| Tiberius | 578 |
| Maurice | 582 |
| Phocas | 602 |
| Heraclius | 610 |
| Heraclius Constantine III and Heracleonas | 641 |
| Constans II | 642 |
| Constantine IV | 668 |
| Justinian II | 685 |
| Leontius | 695 |
| Tiberius III | 697 |
| Justinian II (restored) | 705 |
| Philippicus | 711 |
| Anastasius II | 713 |
| Theodosius III | 715 |
| Leo III, the Isaurian | 717 |
| Constantine V Copronymus | 740 |
| Leo IV | 775 |
| Constantine VI | 779 |
| Irene | 797 |
| Nicephorus I | 802 |
| Stauracius | 811 |
| Michael I Rhangabe | 811 |
| Leo V, the Armenian | 813 |
| Michael II, the Amorian | 820 |
| Theophilus | 829 |
| Michael III | 842 |
| Basil I, the Macedonian | 867 |
| Leo VI, the Wise | 886 |
| Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus | 912 |
| Co-emperors: | |
| Alexander | 912-913 |
| Romanus I Lecapenus | 991-945 |
| Constantine VIII and Stephanus reigned five weeks in | 944 |
| Romanus II | 958 |
| Basil II, the Slayer of the Bulgarians | 963 |
| Co-emperors: | |
| Nicephorus II Phocas | 965-969 |
| John I Zimisces | 969-976 |
| Constantine IX | 976-1025 |
| Constantine IX (sole emperor) | 1025 |
| Romanus III Argyrus | 1028 |
| Michael IV | 1034 |
| Michael V | 1042 |
| Theodora and Zoe | 1042 |
| Constantine X Monomachus | 1042 |
| Theodora (restored) | 1054 |
| Michael VI Stratioticus | 1056 |
| Isaac I Comnenus | 1057 |
| Constantine XI Ducas | 1059 |
| Michael VII Ducas and Romanus IV Diogenes | 1067 |
| Nicephorus III Botoniates | 1078 |
| Alexius I Comnenus | 1081 |
| John II Comnenus | 1118 |
| Manuel I Comnenus | 1143 |
| Alexius II Comnenus | 1180 |
| Andronicus I Comnenus | 1183 |
| Isaac II Angelus | 1185 |
| Alexius III Angelus | 1195 |
| Isaac II Angelus (restored) and Alexius IV Angelus | 1203 |
| Nicholas Canabus | 1204 |
| Alexius V Ducas, Murtzuphlus | 1204 |
| Baldwin I (Count of Flanders) | 1204 |
| Henry | 1205 |
| Peter | 1217 |
| Robert | 1219 |
| John of Brienne | 1228 |
| Baldwin II | 1237 |
| Michael VIII Palæologus (fifth emperor of Nicæa; succeeded 1260) | 1261 |
| Andronicus II Palæologus | 1282 |
| Co-emperor: Michael IX | 1295-1320 |
| Andronicus III Palæologus | 1328 |
| John V Palæologus | 1341 |
| Co-emperor: John VI Cantacuzene | 1341-1355 |
| Manuel II Palæologus | 1391 |
| John VII Palæologus | 1425 |
| Constantine XII Palæologus | 1448 |
| Mehmed II, the Conqueror (seventh Ottoman sultan; succeeded 1451) | 1453 |
| Baïezid II | 1481 |
| Selim I | 1512 |
| Süleïman I, the Magnificent | 1520 |
| Selim II | 1566 |
| Mourad III | 1574 |
| Mehmed III | 1595 |
| Ahmed I | 1603 |
| Moustafa I | 1617 |
| Osman II | 1618 |
| Moustafa I (restored) | 1622 |
| Mourad IV | 1623 |
| Ibrahim | 1640 |
| Mehmed IV | 1649 |
| Süleïman II | 1687 |
| Ahmed II | 1691 |
| Moustafa II | 1695 |
| Ahmed III | 1703 |
| Mahmoud I | 1730 |
| Osman III | 1754 |
| Moustafa III | 1757 |
| Abd ül Hamid I | 1774 |
| Selim III | 1788 |
| Moustafa IV | 1807 |
| Mahmoud II, the Reformer | 1808 |
| Abd ül Mejid | 1839 |
| Abd ül Aziz | 1861 |
| Mourad V | 1876 |
| Abd ül Hamid II | 1876 |
| Mehmed V | 1909 |