Figure 1.--.

The Vandals were one of the eastern Germanic Tribes. 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). Tey 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 alargely Romanized population.