This is a list of the burial places of ancient Roman, and later Eastern Roman (or Byzantine), emperors and their family members.
Early imperial figures were cremated. Inhumations became more common in the second century, though occasional imperial cremations are still recorded until the 4th century. Hadrian (r. 117–138) may have been the first emperor to be inhumed and not cremated, though the sources are unclear. Septimius Severus (r. 193–211) was cremated; his son Geta (r. 211) appears to have been inhumed whereas his other son Caracalla (r. 211–217) was also cremated. In the later Christian empire, cremation became viewed as a pagan practice and the dead were normally inhumed. The resting places for many emperors, particularly those during the Crisis of the Third Century (235–285), remain unknown. Several emperors were not buried at all, having been killed in battle or subjected to "damnatio memoriae".
The list includes all reigning emperors, whether their burials are known or not. Family members of the emperors are also included in the list, though only if their burial sites are known or if there has been discussion on the subject. Non-emperors are arranged temporaly (if possible), listed beneath the respective emperors. Emperors are marked with bold text and distinct background color in the list.
Extant remains.
The majority of imperial burial sites have been damaged over the centuries, either deliberately or by accident. The following figures either have known burial sites, where their remains can still to be found, or have been discovered in modern times:
Unverified.
The following figures have reportedly had their remains discovered in modern times, but no studies have confirmed the identification:
Later eastern emperors (457–1453).
Komnenos dynasty (1081–1185).
Komnenoi in Trebizond (1204–1461).
The Grand Komnenoi rulers of the Empire of Trebizond used the Panagia Chrysokephalos Church in Trebizond (the modern-day Fatih Mosque, Trabzon) as the main imperial burial place. There were some exceptions, such as Manuel I of Trebizond (d. 1263), who was buried in Trebizond's Hagia Sophia.
In 1917, the only surviving imperial tomb in the Chrysokephalos were discovered, containing the remains of Alexios IV of Trebizond (d. 1429). The structure was destroyed in 1919 but the remains of Alexios IV were handed over to the Pontic community in Greece. In 1980, Alexios IV's remains were reburied in the New Soumela monastery in the village of Kastania, near Veria in northern Greece.