The following is an historical list of dictators in ancient Rome. In antiquity, the meaning of dictator was not pejorative but referred to one who ruled by dictat for a set period; rarely (as in case of Gaius Julius Caesar) it was a title for life.
All dates and names are given as they appear in Magistrates of the Roman Republic by T.R.S. Broughton.
| Date (BC) | Term | Name | Cause/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 501 | Titus Lartius Flavus | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 501 | Manius Valerius | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 498 | Aulus Postumius Albus Regillensis | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 494 | Manius Valerius Maximus | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 463 | Gaius Aemilius Mamercus? | Clavi figendi causa? (possibly interrex, not dictator). | |
| 458 | 1st | Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 439 | 2nd | Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus | Rei gerundae causa or seditionis sedandae causa |
| 437 | 1st | Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 435 | 1st | Quintus Servilius Priscus Fidenas | Rei gerundae causa |
| 434 | 2nd | Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 431 | Aulus Postumius Tubertus | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 426 | 3rd | Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 418 | 2nd | Quintus Servilius Priscus Fidenas | Rei gerundae causa |
| 408 | Publius Cornelius Rutilus Cossus | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 396 | 1st | Marcus Furius Camillus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 390 | 2nd | Marcus Furius Camillus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 389 | 3rd | Marcus Furius Camillus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 385 | Aulus Cornelius Cossus | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 380 | Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus Capitolinus | Rei gerundae et seditionis sedandae causa | |
| 368 | 4th | Marcus Furius Camillus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 368 | Publius Manlius Capitolinus | Seditionis sedandae et rei gerundae causa | |
| 367 | 5th | Marcus Furius Camillus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 363 | Lucius Manlius Capitolinus Imperiosus | Clavi figendi causa | |
| 362 | Appius Claudius Crassus Inregillensis | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 361 | Titus Quinctius Poenus Capitolinus Crispinus | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 360 | Quintus Servilius Ahala | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 358 | Gaius Sulpicius Peticus | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 356 | Gaius Marcius Rutilus | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 353 | 1st | Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 352 | Gaius Julius Iullus | Rei gerundae et comitiorum habendorum causa | |
| 351 | Marcus Fabius Ambustus | Comitiorum habendorum causa | |
| 350 | 1st | Lucius Furius Camillus | Comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 349 | 2nd | Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus | Comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 345 | 2nd | Lucius Furius Camillus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 344 | Publius Valerius Publicola | Feriarum constituendarum causa | |
| 342 | 1st | Marcus Valerius Corvus | Seditionis sedandae causa or rei gerundae causa |
| 340 | Lucius Papirius Crassus | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 339 | Quintus Publilius Philo | Non military; carried out certain legal reforms | |
| 335 | Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus Privernas | Comitiorum habendorum causa | |
| 333 | Publius Cornelius Rufinus | Rei gerundae causa? | |
| 332 | Marcus Papirius Crassus | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 331 | Gnaeus Quinctius Capitolinus | Clavi figendi causa | |
| 325 | 1st | Lucius Papirius Cursor | Rei gerundae causa |
| 324 | 2nd | Lucius Papirius Cursor | Rei gerundae causa |
| 322 | Aulus Cornelius Cossus Arvina | Rei gerundae et ludorum faciendorum causa | |
| 320 | 1st | Gaius Maenius | Quaestionibus exercendis |
| 320 | Lucius Cornelius Lentulus | Rei gerundae causa? | |
| 320 | 3rd | Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus | Comitiorum habendorum causa? |
| 316 | Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus Privernas | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 315 | 1st | Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 314 | 2nd | Gaius Maenius | Rei gerundae causa |
| 313 | Gaius Poetelius Libo Visolus | Rei gerundae et clavi figendi causa | |
| 313 | 2nd | Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 312 | Gaius Sulpicius Longus | Rei gerundae causa? | |
| 312 | Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus | Rei gerundae causa (possibly magister equitum, not dictator) | |
| 310 | 3rd | Lucius Papirius Cursor | Rei gerundae causa |
| 309 | 4th | Lucius Papirius Cursor | Rei gerundae causa |
| 306 | Publius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus | Comitiorum habendorum causa | |
| 302 | 2nd? | Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 302 | 2nd | Marcus Valerius Corvus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 301 | 3rd | Marcus Valerius Corvus | Rei gerundae causa |
| 291 - 285 | Marcus Aemilius Barbula | Rei gerundae causa? | |
| 291 - 285 | Appius Claudius Caecus | Rei gerundae causa? | |
| 291 - 285 | Publius Cornelius Rufinus | Rei gerundae causa? | |
| 287 | Quintus Hortensius | Seditionis sedandae causa or rei gerundae causa | |
| 280 | Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus | Comitiorum habendorum causa | |
| 263 | Gnaeus Fulvius Maximus Centumalus | Clavi figendi causa | |
| 257 | Quintus Ogulnius Gallus | Ludorum faciendorum causa | |
| 249 | Marcus Claudius Glicia | Rei gerundae causa? | |
| 249 | Aulus Atilius Caiatinus | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 246 | Tiberius Coruncanius | Comitiorum habendorum causa | |
| 231 | Gaius Duilius | Comitiorum habendorum causa | |
| 224 | Lucius Caecilius Metellus | Comitiorum habendorum causa | |
| 221 | 1st | Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator | Rei gerundae causa? |
| 217 | 2nd | Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator | Rei gerundae causa |
| 217 | Marcus Minucius Rufus | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 216 | Marcus Junius Pera | Rei gerundae causa | |
| 216 | Marcus Fabius Buteo | Legendo senatui | |
| 213 | Gaius Claudius Centho | Comitiorum habendorum causa | |
| 210 | Quintus Fulvius Flaccus | Comitiorum habendorum causa | |
| 208 | Titus Manlius Torquatus | Comitiorum habendorum et ludorum faciendorum causa | |
| 207 | Marcus Livius Salinator | Comitiorum habendorum causa | |
| 205 | Quintus Caecilius Metellus | Comitiorum habendorum causa | |
| 203 | Publius Sulpicius Galba Maximus | Comitiorum habendorum causa or rei gerundae causa | |
| 202 | Gaius Servilius Geminus | Comitiorum habendorum causa | |
| 82/81 - 81 | Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix | Legibus faciendis et rei publicae constituendae causa | |
| 49 | 1st | Gaius Julius Caesar | Rei gerundae causa |
| 48 | 2nd | Gaius Julius Caesar | Rei gerundae causa |
| 47 | 3rd | Gaius Julius Caesar | Rei gerundae causa |
| 46 | 4th | Gaius Julius Caesar | Rei gerundae causa |
| 45 | 5th | Gaius Julius Caesar | Rei gerundae causa |
| 44 | -- | Gaius Julius Caesar | perpetuus |