Vandals: East-Germanic tribe that created a kingdom in northern Africa (435-534 CE).
Origin
Vandal fibula from Hippo Regius
Originally an East-Germanic tribe; their name may be derived from Germanic *wand-, "to wander". This must be an exonym, given by other people to migrant neighbors. They may have called themselves Lugi and must have spoken an East-Germanic language
Associated with the Przeworsk culture in the southern half of what is now Poland, between the upper reaches of the Oder and the Vistula
There are several related names: Lugii, Hasdings, Silingi...
Second century: in the Dacian theater of war, the Hasdings are allies and opponents of the Romans during the Marcomannic Wars of Marcus Aurelius
Migrations
Vandal dress on a coin from Carthage
Gradual penetration of Dacia
271 Aurelius wages a successful war against the Vandals, Juthungi and Sarmatians; accepts the title Germanicus maximus, goes to Rome and uses the booty to construct of a new wall for Rome
During the reign of Constantine the Great (306-337), the Hasdings received land in Pannonia
Stilicho, supreme commander of the West-Roman forces, is of Vandal descent
406: Collapse of the Roman Rhine frontier. The Vandals sack Mainz, move to the west, are defeated by the Franks, continue to the south; destruction of Reims
409: Arrival in Spain. The Hasdings settle in Asturia, the Silingi in [V]Andalusia; king Gunderic also accepts the crown of the Alans and later Vandal kings call themselves Rex Wandalorum et Alanorum
422: Defeat of a Roman army (with Suebian allies), sent to improve Roman control of Iberia; capture of Carthago Nova; beginning of naval activities; looting of the Balearic Islands and the shores of Mauretania
In Africa tensions between the Vandal elite (which follows the Arian view of Christianity) and the population, which follows the Creed of Nicaea, and is divided between an official church (recognizing Rome) and a local Donatist church
455: Sack of Rome (among the captured objects is the Menorah); capture of Lepcis Magna
457: The emperor Majorian defeats a Vandal army in Italy; Vandal fleet attack on Crete
460: A Roman attack on Carthago Nova fails
468: The emperor Leo orders a new Roman (Byzantine) attack on the Vandals, but his fleet is defeated near Cape Bon. The Vandals temporarily occupy Sicily
476: Peace treaty between Genseric and the Roman supreme commander Genseric; coins show the Vandal kings as Byzantine emperors
Godigisel
359–406
Gunderic
407–428
Genseric
428–477
Huneric
477–484
Gunthamund
484–496
Thrasamund
496–523
Hilderic
523–530
Gelimer
530–534
Demise
In Constantinople, the recovery of Carthage is considered a priority; Justinian starts to organize a large expedition
The Vandal king Hilderic tries to accomodate the Byzantines by making peace with non-Arian Christianity; after a military defeat, Hilderic is replaced by a more pro-Arian king, Gelimer, which gives Justinian the excuse he needs. he sends his general Belisarius
534: Fall of Carthage (Menorah brought to Constantinoplenote[Procopius, Vandal Wars 4.9.])
The Byzantines take the last royal residence, Bulla Regia, too. End of Vandal kingdom
