Vandals (Germanic peoples)
The Vandals were a Germanic people originating from the Scandinavian region, known for their significant migrations and conquests during the early medieval period. They crossed the Rhine River in 406 CE, moving into Gaul and then into the Iberian Peninsula by 409 CE, where they established settlements. By 429 CE, under King Gaiseric, the Vandals migrated to North Africa, where they began a series of conquests against Roman territories. The Vandals gained considerable power, notably by capturing the city of Hippo in 431 CE and later Carthage in 439 CE, which became a crucial base for their naval operations. Their control over North Africa forced the Roman Empire to recognize their dominion through treaties, though Gaiseric's expansionist policies often led to conflicts. The Vandals famously sacked Rome in 455 CE, showcasing their military prowess. However, their kingdom eventually fell to the Byzantine Empire in 533 CE during a campaign led by General Belisarius, marking the end of Vandal rule in North Africa. The Vandals' legacy is often viewed through the lens of their impact on the Roman Empire and the subsequent shifts in power dynamics in the Mediterranean region.
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Vandals (Germanic peoples)
Date: c. 400-532 c.e.
Locale: Gaul, Spain, and North Africa
Vandals
The Vandals were a Germanic people originally from the Scandinavian area. They crossed the Rhine River in 406 c.e. and migrated into Gaul. Traveling southward, ravaging the countryside as they went, they entered Spain three years later, in 409 c.e., and settled in the western and southern areas of the Iberian Peninsula with the intention of remaining there permanently. In 429 c.e., under the command of King Gaiseric, the Vandals crossed the Mediterranean into North Africa. Once there, they began to pillage and plunder the area. Other enemies of the Roman Empire, such as the Moors and Donatists, joined in the attacks on Roman-controlled areas in North Africa. The Vandals defeated the Roman forces in North Africa and captured the city of Hippo in 431 c.e. Their successes in North Africa forced the emperor Valentinian III to sign a treaty with the Vandals recognizing their control over Numidia and Mauretania in return for an annual tribute paid to the empire by the Vandals.
Four years later, in 439 c.e., Gaiseric broke the treaty by capturing the city of Carthage. This was a valuable conquest that offered many new resources to the Vandals, including a defensible harbor with naval vessels and a functional shipyard. Following the capture of Carthage, Gaiseric declared himself an independent ruler with no obligation or allegiance owed to Rome. Concerned over future Roman attempts to regain their lost holdings in North Africa, the Vandals created a buffer zone between North Africa and Italy by capturing the nearby islands, such as Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and the Balearic Islands. These locations were used as staging points for attacks on Italy and allowed the Vandals to make raids against the empire itself. In 455 c.e., a Vandal fleet was able to capture and loot the city of Rome. Byzantine attempts in 465 c.e. and 470 c.e. to recapture North Africa were unsuccessful, and a peace treaty was signed in 474 c.e. that acknowledged Vandal control over North Africa.
The Vandal kingdom lasted until the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, who initiated a “reconquest” of lost imperial holdings. During this successful recovery of lost lands conducted by the general Belisarius, Carthage was captured in 533 c.e., and the Vandal kingdom was destroyed. All Vandals taken as prisoners of war were organized into cavalry units and stationed in eastern provinces far from North Africa.
Bibliography
Clover, Frank. The Late Roman West and the Vandals. Brookfield, Vt.: Variorum, 1993.
Randers-Pehrson, Justine Davis. Barbarians and Romans: The Birth Struggle of Europe, a.d. 400-700. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1983.
Wolfram, Herwig. The Roman Empire and Its Germanic Peoples. Translated by Thomas Dunlap. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997.