List of Roman imperial victory titles

This document is a list of victory titles assumed by Roman Emperors, not including assumption of the title Imperator (originally itself a victory title); note that the Roman Emperors were not the only persons to assume victory titles (Maximinus Thrax acquired his victory title during the reign of a previous Emperor). In a sense, the Imperial victory titles give an interesting summary of which wars and which adversaries were considered significant by the senior leadership of the Roman Empire, but in some cases more opportunistic motifs play a role, even to the point of glorifying a victory that was by no means a real triumph (but celebrated as one for internal political prestige). For a more complete list of the Emperors themselves, see List of Roman Emperors.

• Caligula, 37-41
  • Germanicus ("Victorious in Germania"), born with it
• Claudius, 41-54
  • Germanicus ("Victorious in Germania"), born with it
  • Britannicus ("Victorious in Britain"), 44
• Vitellius, 69
  • Germanicus ("Victorious in Germania"), 69
• Domitian, 81 - 96
  • Germanicus ("Victorious in Germania"), late 83
• Nerva, 96 98
  • Germanicus ("Victorious in Germania"), October 97
• Trajan, 98 - 117
  • Germanicus ("Victorious in Germania"), October 97
  • Dacicus ("Victorious in Dacia"), 102
  • Parthicus ("Victorious in Parthia") and Optimus ("the Best"), 114
• Marcus Aurelius, 161 - 180
  • Armeniacus ("Victorious in Armenia"), 164
  • Medicus ("Victorious in Media") and Parthicus Maximus ("The great victor in Parthia"), 166
  • Germanicus ("Victorious in Germania"), 172
  • Sarmaticus ("Victorious in Sarmatia"), 175
• Lucius Verus, 161 - 169
  • Armeniacus ("Victorious in Armenia"), 164
  • Parthicus Maximus ("The great victor in Parthia"), 165
  • Medicus ("Victorious in Media"), 166
• Commodus, 177 - 192
  • Germanicus ("Victorious in Germania"), 15 October 172
  • Sarmaticus ("Victorious in Sarmatia"), spring 175
  • Germanicus Maximus ("The great victor in Germania"), mid-182
  • Britannicus, late 184
• Septimius Severus, 193 - 211
  • Arabicus ("Victorious in Arabia") and Adiabenicus ("the victor of Adiabene"), 195
  • Parthicus Maximus ("The great victor in Parthia"), 198
  • Britannicus Maximus ("The great victor in Britain"), 209 or 210
• Caracalla, 198 - 217
  • Britannicus Maximus ("The great victor in Britain"), 209 or 210
  • Germanicus Maximus ("The great victor in Germania"), 213
• Maximinus Thrax, 235 - 238
  • Germanicus Maximus ("The great victor in Germania"), 235 (awarded by Emperor Alexander Severus)
• Claudius II, 268 - 270
  • Gothicus Maximus ("The great victor against the Goths"), 269
• Aurelian, 270-275
  • Germanicus Maximus ("The great victor in Germania"), 270 and 271
  • Gothicus Maximus ("The great victor of the Goths"), 271
  • Parthicus Maximus ("The great victor in Parthia"), 273
• Tacitus, 275 - 276
  • Gothicus Maximus ("The great victor of the Goths"), 276
• Probus, 276 - 282
  • Gothicus ("the victor of the Goths"), 277
  • Gothicus Maximus, Germanicus Maximus ("The great victor in Germania"), and Persicus Maximus ("The great victor in Persia"), 279
• Diocletian, 284 - 305
  • Germanicus Maximus ("The great victor in Germania") and Sarmaticus Maximus ("The great victor of the Sarmatians"), 285
    • Diocletian claimed the title Germanicus Maximus five more times (twice in 287, and in 288, 293, and 301) and the title Sarmaticus Maximus three more times (in 289, 294, and 300)
  • Persicus Maximus ("The great victor over the Persians"), 295
    • Diocletian claimed the title Persicus Maximus again in 298
  • Britannicus Maximus ("The great victor in Britain") and Carpicus Maximus ("The great victor over Carpians"), 297
  • Armenicus Maximus ("Victorious in Armenia"), Medicus Maximus ("The great victor in Media"), and Adiabenicus Maximus ("The great victor in Adiabene"), 298
• Maximian, 286 - 305, 306 - 308
  • Maximian's victory titles are the same as those of Diocletian, except that he did not share Diocletian's first assumption of the titles
• Galerius Maximianus, 305 - 311
  • Britannicus Maximus ("The great victory in Britain"), and Carpicus Maximus ("The great victor of the Carpians"), 297
    • Galerius claimed the title Carpicus Maximus five more times until the Carpicus Maximus VI ("The 6th great victor of the Carpians"), 308
• Constantine I, 307 - 337
  • Germanicus Maximus ("The great victor in Germania"), 307
    • Constantine claimed the title Germanicus Maximus three more times (in 308, 314, and 328)
  • Sarmaticus Maximus ("The great victor over the Sarmatians"), 323
    • Constantine claimed the title Sarmaticus Maximus one more time (in 334)
  • Gothicus Maximus ("The great victor over the Goths"), 328
    • Constantine claimed the title Gothicus Maximus one more time (in 332)
  • Dacicus Maximus ("The great Victor over the Dacian"), (336)
• Constans, 337-350
  • Sarmaticus ("Victorious over the Sarmatians"). The title was awarded twice, and later critics wrote that proper form required that Constans be called "Sarmaticus Sarmaticus".
• Justinian I, 527 - 565
  • Alamannicus ("Victorious over the Alamanni"), on accession
  • Gothicus ("Victorious over the Goths"), on accession
  • Francicus ("Victorious over the Franks"), on accession
  • Anticus ("Victorious over the Antae"), on accession
  • Alanicus ("Victorious over the Alans"), on accession
  • Vandalicus ("Victorious over the Vandals"), after the Vandalic War, 534
  • Africanus ("Victorious in Africa"), after the Vandalic War, 534

2nd century

ROMAN IMPERIAL VICTORY-TITLES (COGNOMINA EX VIRTUTE). Table B: Antonines and Severi (AD 96 - 235)

Emperor (reign-dates)	Adiabenicus	Arabicus	Armeniacus	Britannicus	Carpicus	Dacicus	Germanicus	Gothicus	Medicus	Parthicus	Persicus	Sarmaticus	Inscription evidence
Nerva (96-8)
Trajan (98-117)													AE (1987) 499
Hadrian (117-38)													AE (1896) 121
Antoninus Pius (138-61)													CIL VIII.20424
Marcus Aurelius (161-80)													CIL III.13
Commodus (180-92)													AE (1977) 772
Septimius Severus (193-211)													AE (1999) 1861
Caracalla (211-7)
Elagabalus (217-22)
Severus Alexander (222-35)

3rd century

ROMAN IMPERIAL VICTORY-TITLES (COGNOMINA EX VIRTUTE). Table C: Military emperors (AD 235 - 305)

Emperor (reign-dates)	Adiabenicus	Arabicus	Armeniacus	Britannicus	Carpicus	Dacicus	Germanicus	Gothicus	Medicus	Parthicus	Persicus	Sarmaticus	Inscription evidence
Maximinus Thrax (235-8)
Gordian III (238-44)
Philip the Arab (244-9)					247					244			CIL III.4634 ; RIC IV.66
Decius (249-51)						250	250						CIL II.6345 ; AE (1942/3) 55
Valerian (253-60)							254						CIL VIII.2380
Gallienus (253-68)						256	254			263	264/5		CIL X.4784 ; AE (2006) 1762
Claudius II (268-70)							268	269		270			CIL XII.5511 ; CIL VIII.4876
Aurelian (270-5)		272		date?	272	275	271	272		273		270?	CIL XIII.8973 ; CIL III.13715 ; CIL II.4506
Tacitus (275-6)								276					CIL XII.5563
Probus (276-82)							278	277					CIL XII.5472
Carus (282-3)							283			283			CIL VIII.12522
Diocletian and Tetrarchs (284-305)

4th century

See also

• Roman victory title
• Roman Emperors