The Vandales are a Germanic Peuple Eastern. They were illustrated in plundering successively the Gaulle, the Galicia and the Bétique (in Spain), the North Africa and the islands of the the Western Mediterranean at the time of the Great invasions, at the 5th century of the Christian era. They also founded a “Royaume vandal of Africa”, or “kingdom of Carthage” (439 - 533).

Origins:

The origin of the Vandals is certainly Scandinavian. The Sillings would be originating in the North of the Jutland, while the Hasdings of the gulf of Oslo which they also leave for Jutland: they are mentioned for the first time by Tacite.

Between, they are established in Germanie Eastern, in an area located between the the Vistula and the Oder, at the edge of the the Baltic. They are then very close to other people Barbares like the Goths and the Gépides. The name of Vandals, which could designate several people Barbares, is carried soon by two sister countries: the Sillings, which give its name to the Silesia, and the Hasdings, which gain Slovakia: it is possible that the name of “Hasdings” was then carried only by the royal family.

At all events, the Vandals installed during the 3rd century as Slovakia, in the north of the the Danube, vis-a-vis the Pannonia and the Illyrie, are in contact lasting nearly two centuries with other nonGermanic people like the Sarmates. It is during this period of stay in the Russian steppes that the Vandals become, like Goths, people of famous riders. They join Sarmates, wandering nation of Iranian origin, and in particular with their principal tribe, that of the Alains. Starting from the middle of the 3rd century, the Vandals become a component of the pressure of the people which migrate in the areas of the Danube. United with their neighbors Goths and Sarmates, they launch from 248 of the many attacks on the Danubian Roman provinces.

In 271, the Roman Emperor Aurélien beats Goths and the Vandals on the Danube, and passes a treaty with the Vandals for the supply of 2.000 riders serving like auxiliary Troupes of the legions.

Groups of Vandals are established thus in the Empire, receiving the authorization to be installed on given up grounds, realizing the supply of auxiliary quotas of soldiers. This process explains why one of the general large last of the empire Stilicon is of Vandale origin. But the antigermanism of the Roman leader mediums leads to its execution into 408.

See also: Vandal (language)

The Great invasions (406 - 439)

See also: Great invasions

At the beginning of the 5th century, the Huns drive out the Vandals and their Sarmates allies of their territories. Hasdings of the king Godégisel and Sillings of Frédébal unite then with the Suèves or Souabes, and in Alains and move towards the higher course of the the Rhine. Maintained a time on bank Is river by the Roman defense force (the Rhenish files ), the whole of these people crosses the cold river according to the legend, during the night of the New Year's Eve (actually it took more than one night for the crossing) on December 31st 406, thus entering in the Roman Empire masses some Western and taking part in the Great invasions.

As a Gaulle (407 - 409)

The Vandals, like their allies, run up against the resistance of the auxiliaries Francs and other Western Germanic tribes federate to the service of Rome. The latter, initially victorious of the Vandals, encumbered by their families, and which would have lost 20000 men (?) and their king Godégisel (killed with the combat), are however beaten, mainly thanks to the intervention of the heavy cavalry of Alains (the Cataphracte S).

The Vandals take part then in the invasion of the Gaulle which they plunder, in all directions, lasting nearly two years. After which, they migrate in company of the Alains and of the Suèves towards the the Pyrenees.

In Spain (409 - 429)

To autumn 409, the Vandals enter the Iberian peninsula, where they are installed with part of their allies alains (of which certain clans remained as a Gaulle, in particular on the the Loire). Hasdings are established a time in Bétique with Alains, which wanders in the plains of the Tage, while Sillings, in agreement with Suèves, are established in the South of Galicia: after having put Spain at fire and blood, spreading famine and desolation everywhere, they are crushed in 418 by the wisigothic federate troops ordered by their king Wallia, sent in person by Rome to restore the order. Suèves are beaten on several occasions, pushed back and confined in the NR. - O. peninsula. Alains, much fewer than the Visigoths, are reduced, while Sillings, touched very hard, are obliged to join their cousins in the South and to recognize as king, the king hasding Gundéric towards 419: it is at this time that the name of Vandales indicates them commonly. They plunder the area of future the Andalusia during ten years. This stage is very important for them, because it enables them to become the only barbarian people controlling navigation (after having enlisted sailors of force), while they widen the field of their actions in the islands Balearic Islands and on the North-African coast.

Lastly, it is perhaps during their stay of a score of years in Spain that the Vandals convert partly with the Arianisme (perhaps under wisigothic influence), conversion fraught with consequences thereafter.

In North Africa (429 - 439)

In 428, Genséric becomes king of the Vandals and Alains, succeeding his/her Gundéric half-brother, undoubtedly killed by out of Suèves (impaled). Probably attracted by the richness of Roman Africa, still saved by the Barbarians, whom he discovered in Maurétanie, and in front of the exhaustion of the richnesses of Bétique (certainly also by fear of Goths, their enemies hereditary, increasingly powerful and undertaking), he gathers his army and his people, which he thoroughly counts for the needs for the crossing of the strait, and bringing together thus approximately 80.000 individuals including 15.000 to 20.000 warriors, according to the contemporary sources (Victor de Vita).

The “army” thus made up achieves the crossing of the Straits of Gibraltar in spring 429 and enters current the Algérie, to reach Hippone (Bône: Annaba) in May or June 430. The city falls following a long seat in 431, during which the famous bishop, holy Augustin dies.

The Romans recognize the establishment of the Vandals in Eastern Algeria and Tunisia, and try to alleviate them by signing a treaty with them ( Foedus ), in 435. Nevertheless, the Vandals take again their progression along the coast, to take Carthage without much resistance, the October 19th 439.

The kingdom vandal of Africa (429-533)

See also: Kingdom vandal

From 429 to 439, the Vandals conquer part of the territories located on the Nord-africaine coast, and are established durably in Eastern Algeria and Tunisia. They force Rome to establish a treaty ( Fœdus ) with them by twice (in 435 and 442), and constitute an original kingdom vandal of Africa, sometimes named “kingdom of Carthage”, name of the Roman capital rich person of Africa which they take into 439.

The Kingdom disappears in consequence of an intervention from the Byzantine Armée which reduces in slavery the majority of the survivors.

Heritage and reputation of the Vandals

The heritage of the Vandals is traditionally judged of rather low importance. Put besides some place names (the Vandalousie would have become the Andalusia, by the means of the Arab Al Andalus ) and possible genetic filiations with Tunisian or Berber populations, it is especially in the modern vocabulary that their heritage is most obvious.

In many languages, indeed, the qualifier “vandal” has a connotation terror, of blind destruction, plundering, confusion. In French, the word vandal is employed for the first time in a pejorative direction by Voltaire in 1734. In 1794, the Abbé Gregoire then appointed with the Convention employs the first the term Vandalisme (P. Riché): the Vandals thus became the stereotype of the cruel people of the Early middle ages in French historiography.

Their reputation of plunderers and destructors actually is largely exaggerated by the former chroniclers, men of the Catholic church of Africa or its partisans, in particular, Victor de Vita. Actually, the Vandals do not cause more destruction than the other Germanic tribes which invade the Roman Empire at the same time.

Their kingdom arien of North Africa is organized with an exemplary method. Tolerant in the religious field towards their catholic or Jewish subjects, they break the attempts of the catholic clergy to resist their authority. “The Vandals being ariens persecuted the catholics cruelly. Many ecclesiastics underwent martyrdom”. They also despoil the grounds of the rich person Christian Roman owners, and impose heavy real estate taxes on their subjects.

Their plundering of Rome, carried out without destruction nor massacres, is a model of organization: the Vandals make an agreement with the pope Leon I {{er}}, in order to recover the richnesses of the city without violence. They divide Rome, for this purpose, in small islands which are visited successively, and whose valuable articles are systematically carried.

Thus, with the eyes of the catholic clergy, the Vandals are two wrong unforgivable:

- they practice a Christianity of rite arien, regarded by the catholics as a serious heresy, cause the death of holy Augustin, recognized like one of the fathers of the Roman Church, and violently persecuted the catholics;

- they attack the richnesses of Rome and the Church.

Being made relay of this resentment, the catholic historiographers thus torpedo, and “diabolisent” the word Vandale by the untruth which it conveys, whereas the name of the people of the Alains, associated to the Vandals, is transmitted to the French language in the form of a spread first name, which does not conceal any pejorative connotation.

Chronology

• 279 : Into the Balkans, Probus rejects Burgondes and the Vandals out of Rhétie.
• 334 : Goths protect the Roman Empire against an invasion vandal in the area Danubian.
• 407 : The Vandals invade Gaulle with Alains and Suèves.
• 409 - 412: The invaders vandals, alains and suèves share Spain while drawing with the fate.
• 425 : The Vandals build a Mediterranean fleet.
• 425 : The Vandals seize the Balearic Islands.
• 428 : reign of Genséric ( Geiseric ), king of the Vandals and Alains.
• 429 : 80.000 Vandals and Alains led by Genséric cross the Straits of Gibraltar to spread itself in North Africa.
• 430 : Holy Augustin, bishop of Hippone (Bône), dies during the seat of its city by the Vandals.
• 431 : catch of Hippone by Genséric.
• 439 : The Vandals seize Carthage, Sardinia and Corsica. Foundation of the kingdom vandal of Africa.
• 442 : King Genséric signs a peace treaty with the emperor Valentinien III and the approval of Théodose II.
• 442 : The Vandals return Sicily, recently invaded, in exchange of the Numidie and the two provinces of Maurétanie (Morocco and Algérie); they receive a treaty to direct the Roman Province of Africa (Tunisia and Western Libya).
• 449 : Attila is combined to the Vandals against Rome.
• 455 : The Vandals, parties of North Africa and conduits by Genséric, take and plunder Rome, then are established in Sicily.
• 456 : The Vandals dominate the Sardinia.
• 468 : The Vandals seize Sicily.
• 468 : Victoire of the Vandals on the Byzantine fleet with the Cape Good.
• 477 : Died of Genséric after one half-century of reign on the Vandals.
• 523 : Death of the king Thrasamund.
• 523 : Hildéric, wire of the Roman princess Eudocie, pro-Byzantine, becomes king of the Vandals in spite of his unpopularity and its great age.
• 533 : The forces of Byzance led by Bélisaire beat the Vandals twice (battles of Tricamarum and the AD Decimum ) and enter Carthage (October).
• 534 : Rendering of Gélimer and its partisans. Deportation in mass of the survivors with Byzance then in Galatie.
• 538 : Last raids and deportations of the Vandals taken refuge at the Berber ones.

List kings

1. Godégisel (— 407)
2. Gundéric (407 – 428)
3. Geiseric (428 – 477)
4. Hunéric (477 – 484)
5. Gunthamund (484 – 496)
6. Thrasamund (496 – 523)
7. Hildéric (523 – 530)
8. Gélimer (530 – 534)

See too

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