This is a list of civil wars or other internal civil conflicts fought during the history of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire (330–1453). The definition of organized civil unrest is any conflict that was fought within the borders of the Byzantine Empire, with at least one opposition leader against the ruling government. For external conflicts, see the list of Byzantine wars. For the period before the division of the Roman Empire in West and East, see List of Roman civil wars and revolts (753 BCE – 476 CE).
4th century
399: Revolt of Tribigild in Phrygia. 400: Revolt of Gainas.
5th century
479: Attempted usurpation of Marcian. 484: First Samaritan Revolt. 484–488: Rebellion of Illus and Leontius against Emperor Zeno. 492–497: Isaurian War. 495: Second Samaritan Revolt.
6th century
513–515: Rebellions of Vitalian against Anastasius I. 529–531: Third Samaritan Revolt under Julianus ben Sabar. 532: Outbreak of the popular Nika revolt in Constantinople. Hypatius proclaimed Emperor and later executed by Justinian and Theodora. 536–537: Military revolt in Africa, led by Stotzas. 555/556: Fourth Samaritan Revolt.
7th century
602: Revolt and usurpation of Phocas. 603–604: Rebellion of general Narses against Phocas. 608–610: Revolt of Africa under Heraclius the Elder, successful seizure of the throne by his son Heraclius the Younger. 610–611: Revolt of general Comentiolus, brother of Phocas, against Heraclius. 613-628: Jewish revolt against Heraclius, short lived Sassanid Jewish Commonwealth is formed. 617/618: John of Conza seizes Naples but is killed by the exarch Eleutherius. 640: Rebellion of general Titus in Mesopotamia in protest against excesses committed by other Byzantine troops. 644/645: Failed coup by Valentinus against his son-in-law Constans II. 646–647: Rebellion of Gregory the Patrician, Exarch of Africa. 650–652: Rebellion of Olympius, Exarch of Ravenna. ca. 651: Rebellion and defection to the Arabs of Armenian soldiers under Theodore Rshtuni. 667: Revolt of Saborios, the general of the Armeniacs. 668–669: Murder of Constans II and attempted usurpation by Mizizios in Sicily. 680: Abortive revolt of the Anatolic theme in favour of Constantine IV's brothers. 692/693: Revolt and defection to the Muslims of the Armenian patrician Smbat. 695: Revolt and usurpation of Leontios against Justinian II. 695–717: Twenty Years' Anarchy after the deposition of emperor Justinian II. 698: Revolt and overthrow of Leontios by the army returning from the failed expedition against Carthage.
8th century
705: Overthrow of Tiberios Apsimaros by Justinian II. 709: Rebellion in Ravenna led by George against the arrest of archbishop Felix, led by Georgios. 711: Rebellion of the Chersonites led by Philippikos Bardanes leads to the successful overthrow of Justinian II. 715: Revolt of the Opsician troops at Rhodes results in a six-month civil war. Anastasios II abdicates in favour of Theodosios III. 716–717: Revolt and successful usurpation of general Leo the Isaurian. 717/8: Revolt of Sergius, governor of Sicily, who declares Basil Onomagoulos as emperor. 726/4: Uprising in Venice against Byzantium. The cause was the iconoclastic decrees of Emperor Leo III the Isaurian. The rebels elect Orso Ipato the Doge of Venice. 726/7: Revolt of the Helladic Theme under the tourmarches Agallianos Kontoskeles and a certain Stephen against the iconoclastic policies of Leo III. 741–743: Revolt and usurpation of Artabasdos against Constantine V. 780: Abortive coup in favour of Nikephoros, a brother of Leo IV. 781–782: Imperial expedition against Elpidius, governor of Sicily. 790: Military revolt against the regency of Irene of Athens. Her son Constantine VI is made sole ruler. 792–793: Rebellion of the Armeniacs against the restoration of Irene of Athens as co-ruler by Constantine VI. 800: Uprising in Cappadocia, instigated by Staurakios.
9th century
803: Revolt of Bardanes Tourkos. 821–823: Revolt of Thomas the Slav. 827: Revolt of admiral Euphemius in Sicily. 837: Revolt of the Smolyani Slavic tribe in the Balkans. 838–839: Revolt of the Khurramite troops under Theophobos. 866: Revolt of Symbatios the Armenian and George Peganes in western Asia Minor against the rise of Basil the Macedonian.