Figure 1.--This is an artist depiction of the Vandal sack of Rome (455). The name Vandal reflected the destructive behavior and penchant for gratuitous violence vy this Germanic tribe. Vandals is not how they described thenselves. Vandal reflects the dread and hatred of the Roman and other settled people who encountered the tribe. They were notable for both looting and pillaging of villages as well as Roman towns and cities. We are not sure who the artist was or went vthis work was drawn.

The Vandals were one of the eastern Germanic Tribes. They have a fascinating history, beginning in verdant Scadanavia and ending in the stark deserts of North Africa. The Germanic tribes tribes, especially the Vandals, are generally thought to be very brutal. This concept has come down in modern languages, primarily because the Romans were literate, the Vandals were not. Thus to live like vandals is said in German to mean a very vulgar or brutish exitanance. The English word vandal and vandalize meaning mindless destruction is derived from the reputation of this tribe. Modern research suggests, however, that they probably weren’t much different than other Germanic tribes, especially the other east Germanic tribes. A factor here is that the west Germanic tribes had the greatest contact with the Romans. Some had been partially Romanized or at least influenced by the Romans. Thus even the west Germanic tribes looked on the east Germanic as less civilized even barbaric at the time. Of course it was the Vsndals who sacked Tome which was probably a major factor in acquirng their reputation for violence. The Vandals like the other Germanic tribes were pressured by the Huns to the east and moved west. For a time thet were stoped by Roman defenses at the Rhine. Finally with the the decline of Roman power and the freezing of the Rhine, they managed to enter Gaul (406). They moved west to the Iberian Peninsula. Under King Gaiseric they invaded Roman-controlled North Africa. Reports suggest that Gaiseric was invited to help defend North Africa by the Roman govenrnor fearing he was to be removed. They moved east and seized the ricest city--Carthage (439). The Western Empire at the time was very weak. Seizing North Africa was essentially the end of the Empire as North Africa was the grain basket and richest area still under Roman control. They acquired an important fleet and raided Ronan cities throught the Mediteranean. Emperor Valentinian III withe death of Atilla was able to focus on the Vandals. He attempted to deal with them diplomatically, offering his sister in marriage to Gaiseric son. When Valentinian was assasinated, Gaiseric invaded and sacked Rome (455). Pope Leo the Great could not prevent Gaiseric from entering Rome, but did limit the bloodshead. The Vandal raids attracted the hostility of the Eastern Empire as did the Vandals Arian faith and persucution of Catholics. The first major Byzantine offensive failed. Gaiseric died (477) and Vandal power declined under the leaders who followed. A second Byzanine campaign led by Justnian's great general Belisarius succeeded, seizing Carthage (533). This ended the existence of the Vandals as a nation. They had ruled North Africa as only a small ruling elite in a largely Romanized population.

Origins

They have a fascinating history, beginning in verdant Scadanavia and ending in the stark deserts of North Africa. Some Alan tribes joined the Vandals. The Vandals were one of the eastern Germanic Tribes. They are believed to have originted in Central Asia, migrating west to escape the Huns and settling in Scandanavia. [Jacobsen] They appear to have settled in Jutland, now modern Denmark. We are unsure what motivated their migrations south. They migrated first to the valley of the Odra (Oder) River (probably the 5th century BC). They eventually settled along the Danube River at about the time Rome began to collapse.

Brutality

The Germanic tribes tribes, especially the Vandals, are generally thought to be very brutal. This concept has come down in modern languages, primarily because the Romans were literate, the Vandals were not. Thus to live like vandals is said in German to mean a very vulgar or brutish exitanance. The English word vandal and vandalize meaning mindless destruction is derived from the reputation of this tribe. Modern research suggests, however, that they probably weren’t much different than other Germanic tribes, especially the other east Germanic tribes. A factor here is that the west Germanic tribes had the greatest contact with the Romans. Some had been partially Romanized or at least influenced by the Romans. Thus even the west Germanic tribes looked on the east Germanic as less civilized even barbaric at the time. Of course it was the Vandals who sacked Rome (455) which was probably a major factor in acquirng their reputation for violence. Christian historians well after the event wrote sensational accounts of the sacking of Rome. [Jaconsen]

Roman Empire

For a time thet were stoped by Roman defenses at the Rhine. Finally with the the decline of Roman power and the freezing of the Rhine, the Vandals managed to enter Gaul (406). They would become the tribe which helped to finally destroy the Western Empire.

Arianism

The Vandals converted to Christianity at an early point. They adhered to Arianism, a Christian theology considered heritical by the Roman emperors and church heirarchy in both Rome and Byzantium. Arianism had been repudiated by early church councils. It persisted in North Africa and Egypt, even after the defeat of the Vandals. Byzantine efforts to stamp out Arianism was a factor in the subsequent Arab victories in Egypt and North Africa.

Iberia

The Vandals after crossing the Rhine did not move on Rome (406). Instead moved west to the extreme west of Europe and the Roman Empire --the Iberian Peninsula (409). Here they terrorized the settled Romanized Celtic people for more than a decade. The Romans unable to fiekd effective armies, turned to mercinary Visigoths to supress them. This would eventually lead to a Vidigothic kingdom in early medieval Iberia. They moved south into southern reaches of the Iberiann Peninsula. Visigothic/Vandal eminty was further fueled by relgious division. The Vandals adopted Arian Christianity which the Catholic Visigoths attempted to supress. In the southern Iberiann Peninsula they acquired boat building skills. Under King Gaiseric they invaded Roman-controlled North Africa, seeking both plunder abd the opportunity to establish their own independentThis removed them from Spanish and Visigothic history, but from North Africa they would play a major role in destabilizing the Western Empire. A clever leader emerged to lead the Vandals. They elected crippled son of a firmer slave as their king--Gaiseric. He proved to be both rutless and cunning. He emerged as both a talented war leader and diolomatic conspirator. Gaiseric for 50 years would build an effective army and negotiate a web of treaties to undo every effort of Roman emperors and Visigothic kings to control them. Gaiseric instead of confrinting Roman authotities in Iberia that wre backed by Viigothic forces decided to move to North Africa when the Rman authorities had no strong military backing, taking advantage of intra-Roman conflict. .

North African Kingdom

The Vandals were one of the tribes which established a Germanic kingdom in an area of the former Roman Empire. Reports suggest that Gaiseric was invited to help defend North Africa by the Roman govenrnor fearing he was to be removed. Gaiseric ferried his people across the Strait of Gibraltar in boats they had built. He then led them east along the African coast. North Africa had the time was better watered than is the case today nd was a fich agrivultural province still untouched by barbarian assault. Gaiseric's Vandals pne by one seized the prosperous and largely undefended Roman cities along the coast. The graneries were full, easily feeding the Vandal army. They easily moved east and seized the rich city--Carthage (439). The Western Empire at the time was very weak. Seizing North Africa was essentially the end of the Western Empire as North Africa was the grain basket and richest area still under Roman control. The one city to resist was Hippo Regius (Hippone), now known as Annaba in Algeria. It was one of the richest cities and fully Romanized. The Bishop of Hippo, the famed but then elderly Augustine, organized the defense of the city. Augustine died during the 14-month Vandal siege. Hippo with no rescuers at hand also eventually fell to the Vandals. The Vandal conquest of Roman North Africa took nearly a decade to complete. The loss of North Africa ith its rich grain fields dealt the final blow to the Western Empire. The Vandals seized large rural estates, ruling the local Romanized popultion. They left administrative duties to the educated Roman bureaucrats. One of the ongoing problems disrupting the new Vabdal kingdom wwas relgion. The Arian Vandals terrirized the Catholic churchmen and their congregations. Gaiseric managed to limit the violence. His successors were less restrained. The Vandals openly persecuted the Roman Catholic majority. They martyred Catholic clerics providing medieval hagiographers with stirring accounts for the bravery and sanctity of the saints. The last phase of that conquest were still underway when Gaiseric turned to his next undertaking. He expanded his fleet with new faster ships which were perfect for piracy attacking Mediterranean merchant shipping. The wealth of his North African conquests and the loot from piracy enabled Gaiseric to build a sizeable fleet. Not satisfied with piracy, he began raiding Roman cities throught the Mediteranean. Emperor Valentinian III with death of Atilla was able to focus on the Vandals. He attempted to deal with them diplomatically, offering his sister in marriage to Gaiseric son. When Valentinian was assasinated, Gaiseric invaded and sacked Rome (455). Pope Leo the Great could not prevent Gaiseric from entering Rome, but did limit the bloodshead.

Byzantine Empire

The Vandal raids attracted the hostility of the Eastern Empire as did the Vandals Arian faith and persucution of Catholics. The first major Byzantine offensive failed. Gaiseric died (477) and Vandal power declined under the leaders who followed. The Vandal military power, however, was on the decline. Gaiseric’s fierce warriors were gradually replaced by a new generation who grewup aminst lurury and privlige. Also without Gaiseric’s leadership, the Vandals begame less focused and organized. Coription was rife. The rise of Justinian brought plans to reconquer lost Roman territory and restore the former glories of the Empire. The Vandalsho continued to raid Italy and Mediterranean shiping became arime target. A second Byzanine campaign led by Justnian's great general Belisarius succeeded, with only a small force in a campaign completed in 4 months. [Jacobsen] Belisarius seized Carthage (533). This ended the existence of the Vandals as a nation. They had ruled North Africa as only a small ruling elite in a largely Romanized population and passed from history leaving little trace except their role in inally destroying the Western Empire.

Sources

Jacobsen, Tortsen Cumberland. A History of the Vandals (2012), 384p.

Created: 3:33 AM 3/6/2007
Last updated: 4:26 PM 1/4/2015