VANDALS (Lat. Vandili or Vandilii), a term used by early writers only as a collective designation for a group of Teutonic tribes including, according to Pliny, the Burgundians and the Goths. As a tribal name Vandali occurs first in connexion with the Marcomannic War. The people to whom 'the name is there applied seem to be identical with those formerly ,known as Lugii. Another tribe called Silingae by Ptolemy likewise appears among the Vandals at a later time. Both these tribes appear to have inhabited the upper part of the basin of the Oder, and the name of the Silingae is preserved in Silesia. The Vandals figure in the earliest legends both of the Goths and the Lembo rds, both of whom they are said to have encountered unsuccessfully. They first came into contact with the Romans during the Marcomannic War. In the time of Aurelian they invaded Pannonia, and during the reign of Probus we find them fighting in Dacia. In the time of Constantine I., according to Jordanes, they suffered a great defeat at the hands of Geberich, king of the Goths, their own king Visimar being killed, and the survivors were allowed by the Romans to settle in Pannonia. Here they seem to have remained in subjection to the Romans for about sixty years. In the year 406 they moved westward, according to some writers at the instigation of Stilicho, who is himself said to have been of Vandal origin, and Crossing the Rhine at Mainz proceeded towards Gaul. A portion of the nation is, however, said to have remained behind, and Procopius tells a story that these remnants sent an embassy to Gaiseric, asking that their kinsfolk in Africa should renounce their claims to the lands which their forefathers had held in the old homes of the race. - (F. G. M. B.) In Gaul the Vandals fought a great battle with the Franks, in which they were defeated with the loss of 2000 men, and their king Godegisel was slain. In 409 his son Gunderic led them across the Pyrenees. They appear to have settled in Spain in two detachments. One, the Asdingian Vandals, occupied Galicia, the other, the Silingian, Andalusia. Twenty years of bloody and purposeless warfare with the armies of the empire and with their fellow-barbarians, the Goths and the Suevi, followed. The Silingian Vandals were well-nigh exterminated, but their Asdingian brethren (with whom were now associatedthe remains of a Turanian people, the Alani, who had been utterly defeated by the Goths) marched across Spain and took possession of Andalusia. In 428 or 429 the whole nation set sail for Africa, upon an invitation received - by their king from Bonifacius, count of Africa, who had fallen into disgrace with the court of Ravenna. Gunderic was now dead, and supreme power was in the hands of his bastard brother, Who is generally known in history as Genseric, -though the more correct form of his name is Gaiseric. This man, short of stature and with limping gait, but with a great natural capacity for war and dominion, reckless of human life and unrestrained by conscience or pity, was for fifty years the hero of the Vandal race and the terror of Constantinople and Rome. Probably in the month of May 428 he assembled all his people on the shore of Andalusia, and numbering the males among them from the greybeard down to the newborn infant found them to amount to 8o,000 souls. The passage was effected in the ships of Bonifacius, who, however, soon returning to his old loyalty, besought his new allies to depart from Africa. They, of course, refused, and Bonifacius turned against them, too late, however, to repair the mischief which he had caused. Notwithstanding his opposition, the progress of the Vandals was rapid, and by May 430 only three cities of Roman Africa—Carthage, Hippo and Cirta—remained untaken. The long siege of Hippo (May 430 to July 431), memorable for the last illness and death of St Augustine, which occurred during its progress, ended unsuccessfully for the Vandals. At length (3oth January 435) peace was made between the emperor Valentinian III. and Gaiseric. The emperor was to retain Carthage and the small but rich proconsular province in which it was situated, while Hippo and the other six provinces of Africa were abandoned to the Vandal. Gaiseric observed this treaty no longer than suited his purpose. On the 19th of October 439, without any declaration of war, he suddenly attacked Carthage and took it. The Vandal occupation of this great city, the third among the cities of the Roman empire, lasted for ninety-four years. Gaiseric seems to have counted the years of his sovereignty from the date of its capture. Though most of the remaining years of Gaiseric's life were passed in war, plunder rather than territorial conquest seems to have been the object of his expeditions. He made, in fact, of Carthage a pirate's stronghold, whence he issued forth, like the Barbary pirates of a later day, to attack, as he himself said, " the dwellings of the men with whom God is angry," leaving the question who those men might be to the decision of - the elements. Almost alone among the Teutonic invaders of the empire he set himself to form a powerful fleet, and was probably for thirty years the leading maritime power in the Mediterranean. ' Gaiseric's celebrated expedition against Rome (455), undertaken in response to the call of Eudoxia, widow of Valentinian, was only the greatest of his marauding exploits. He took the city without difficulty, and for fourteen days, in a calm and business-like manner, emptied it of all its movable wealth. The sacred vessels of the Jewish temple, brought to Rome by Titus, are said to have been among the spoils carried to Carthage by the conqueror. Eudoxia and her two daughters were also carried into captivity. One of the princesses, Eudocia, was married to Hunneric, eldest son of Gaiseric; her mother and sister, after long and tedious negotiations, were sent to Constantinople. There does not seem to be in the story of the capture of Rome by the Vandals any justification for the charge of wilful and object-less destruction of public buildings which is implied in the word " vandalism." It is probable that this charge grew out of the fierce persecution which was carried on by Gaiseric and his son against. the Catholic Christians, aid which is the darkest stain on their characters. This persecution is described with great vividness, and no doubt with some exaggeration, by the nearly contemporary Victor Vitensis. Churches were burned; bishops and priests were forced by cruel and revolting tortures to reveal the hiding-places of the sacred vessels; the rich provincials who were employed about the court, and who still adhered to the Catholic faith, were racked and beaten, and put to death. The bishops were almost universally banished, and the congregations were forbidden to elect their successors, so that the greater part of the churches of Africa remained " widowed " for a whole generation. In 476, at the very close of Gaiseric's life, by a treaty concluded with the Eastern emperor, the bishops were permitted to return. There was then a short lull in the persecution; but on the death of Gaiseric (477) and the accession of Hunneric it broke out again with greater violence than ever, the ferocity of Hunneric being more thoroughly stupid and brutal than the calculating cruelty of his father. On the death of Hunneric (484) he was succeeded by his cousin Gunthamund, Gaiseric having established seniority among his own descendants as the law of succession to his throne. Gunthamund (484–96) and his brother Thrasamund (496–523), though Arians, abated some of the rigour of the persecution, and maintained the external credit of the monarchy. Internally, however, it was rapidly declining, the once chaste and hardy Vandals being demoralized by the fervid climate of Africa and the sinful delights of their new capital, and falling ever lower into sloth, effeminacy and vice. On the death of Thrasamund, Hilderic (523–31), the son of Hunneric and Eudocia, at length succeeded to the throne. He adhered to the creed of his mother rather than to that of his father; and, in spite of a solemn oath sworn to his predecessor that he would not restore the Catholic churches to their owners, he at once proceeded to do so and to recall the bishops. Hilderic, elderly, Catholic and timid, was very unpopular with his subjects, and after a reign of eight years he was thrust into prison by his warlike cousin Gelimer (531-34)• The wrongs of Hilderic, a Catholic, and with the blood of Theodosius in his veins, afforded to Justinian a long-coveted pretext for overthrowing the Vandal dominion, the latent weakness of which was probably known to the statesmen of Constantinople. A great expedition under the command of Belisarius (in whose train was the historian Procopius) sailed from the Bosporus in June 533, and after touching at Catana in Sicily finally reached Africa in the beginning of September. Gelimer, who was strangely ignorant of the plans of Justinian, had sent his brother Tzazo with some of his best troops to quell a rebellion in Sardinia (that island as well as the Balearic Isles forming part of the Vandal dominions), and the landing of Belisarius was entirely unopposed. He marched rapidly towards Carthage and on the 13th of September was confronted by Gelimer at Ad Decimum, so m. from Carthage. The battle did not reflect any great credit either on Byzantine or Vandal generalship. It was in fact a series of blunders on both sides, but Belisarius made the fewest and victory remained with him. On the 14th of September 533 the imperial general entered Carthage and ate the feast prepared in Gelimer's palace for its lord. Belisarius, however, was too late to save the life of Hilderic, who had been slain by his rival's orders as soon as the news came of the landing of the imperial army. Still Gelimer with many of the Vandal warriors was at liberty. On the return of Tzazo from Sardinia a force was collected considerably larger than the imperial army, and Gelimer met Belisarius in battle at a place about 20 M. from Carthage, called Tricamarum (December 533)• This battle was far more stubbornly con- tested than that of Ad Decimum, but it ended in the utter rout of the Vandals and the flight of Gelimer. He took refuge in a mountain fortress called Pappua on the Numidian frontier, and there, after enduring great hardships in the squalid dwellings of the Moors, surrendered to his pursuers in March 534• The well-known stories of his laughter when he was introduced to Belisarius, and his chant, " Vanitas vanitatum," when he walked before the triumphal car of his conqueror through the streets of Constantinople, probably point to an intellect disordered by his reverses and hardships. The Vandals who were carried captive to Constantinople were enlisted in five squadrons of cavalry and sent to serve against the Parthians under the title " Justinian Vandali." Four hundred escaped to Africa and took part in a mutiny of the imperial troops, which was with difficulty quelled by Belisarius (536). After this the Vandals disappear from history. The overthrow of their kingdom undoubtedly rendered easier the spread of Saracen conquest along the northern shore of Africa in the following century. In this as in many other fields Justinian sowed that Mahomet might reap. (T. H.) See Pliny, Natural History, iv. 99; Tacitus, Germania, cc. 2, 43; Ptolemy, ii. c. 11, §§ 18 ff.; Julius Capitolinus, De Bello Marcomannico, 17; Vopiscus, Probus, 18; Dexippus, Excerpta, pp. 19 ff. (Bonn); and Jordanes, 4, 16, 22; Proeopius, De Bello Vandalico, a first-rate authority for contemporary events, must be used with caution for the history of the two or three generations before his time. The chroniclers Idatius, Prosper and Victor Tunnunensis supply some facts, and for the persecution of the Catholics Victor Vitensis and the Vita Augustini of Posidius may be consulted. See also E Gibbon, Decline and Fall, chaps. xxxiii. and xli. ; Papencordt, Geschichte der vandalischen Herrschaft in Afrika (Berlin. 1837) ; T. Hodgkin, Italy and her Invaders (188o-99) ; L. Schmidt, Geschichte der Wandalen (Leipzig, 1901) ; and F. Martroye, L'Occident d l'epoque byzantine (1904).

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GEORGE VANCOUVER (c. 1758-1798)

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VANDALES (Lat. Vandili ou Vandilii), terme utilisé par les premiers écrivains uniquement pour désigner collectivement un groupe de tribus teutoniques comprenant, selon Pline, les Burgondes et les Goths. En tant que nom tribal, Vandali apparaît en premier dans le cadre de la guerre de Marcomanie. Les personnes à qui le nom est appliqué semblent être identiques à celles anciennement connues sous le nom de Lugii. Une autre tribu appelée Silingae by Ptolemy apparaîtra plus tard chez les Vandales. Ces deux tribus semblent avoir habité la partie supérieure du bassin de l'Oder et le nom des Silingae est conservé en Silésie. Les vandales figurent dans les premières légendes des Goths et des Lembo, qu'ils auraient rencontrés sans succès. Ils sont entrés en contact avec les Romains pour la première fois pendant la guerre de Marcomanie. À l'époque d'Aurélien, ils envahirent la Pannonie et, pendant le règne de Probus, ils se battirent en Dacie. Selon Jordanes, à l'époque de Constantin Ier, ils ont subi une grande défaite face à Geberich, roi des Goths; leur propre roi, Visimar, a été tué et les survivants ont été autorisés par les Romains à s'établir à Pannonia. Ici, ils semblent être restés soumis aux Romains pendant environ soixante ans. En l'an 406, ils se sont déplacés vers l'ouest, selon certains auteurs, à l'instigation de Stilicho, qui serait lui-même d'origine vandale, et Traversant le Rhin à Mayence s'est dirigé vers la Gaule. Une partie de la nation serait toutefois restée derrière et Procopius raconte que ces vestiges ont envoyé une ambassade à Gaiseric, demandant à leurs parents en Afrique de renoncer à leurs revendications sur les terres que leurs ancêtres avaient conservées dans le vieux maisons de la course. - (F. G. M. B.) En Gaule, les vandales ont mené une grande bataille contre les Francs. Ils ont été vaincus et ont perdu 2 000 hommes, et leur roi Godegisel a été tué. En 409, son fils Gunderic les conduisit à travers les Pyrénées. Ils semblent s'être installés en Espagne dans deux détachements. L'un, les vandales asdingiens, occupait la Galice, l'autre, le Silingian, en Andalousie. Vingt années de guerre sanglante et sans but contre les armées de l'empire et avec leurs concitoyens barbares, les Goths et les Suèves, ont suivi. Les vandales de Silingian étaient presque exterminés, mais leurs frères asdingiens (auxquels étaient associés les restes d'un peuple touranien, les Alani, vaincus par les Goths) traversèrent l'Espagne et s'emparèrent de l'Andalousie. En 428 ou 429, la nation entière s'embarqua pour l'Afrique, à l'invitation de son roi de Bonifacius, comte de l'Afrique, tombée en disgrâce à la cour de Ravenne. Gunderic était maintenant mort et le pouvoir suprême était entre les mains de son frère bâtard, généralement connu dans l'histoire sous le nom de Genseric, bien que la forme la plus correcte de son nom soit Gaiseric. Cet homme, de petite taille et à l'allure boiteuse, mais doté d'une grande capacité naturelle de guerre et de domination, insouciant de la vie humaine et sans retenue de conscience ni de pitié, fut pendant cinquante ans le héros de la race vandale et de la terreur de Constantinople et de Rome . Au mois de mai 428 probablement, il rassembla tout son peuple sur la côte andalouse, et les hommes parmi eux, du gris-bar au bébé nouveau-né, trouvèrent qu'ils comptaient environ 80 000 âmes. Le passage s’opéra sur les navires de Bonifacius qui, cependant, retrouva rapidement son ancienne loyauté et pria ses nouveaux alliés de quitter l’Afrique. Bien sûr, ils ont refusé et Bonifacius s’est cependant retourné contre eux trop tard pour réparer le mal qu’il avait causé. Malgré son opposition, les progrès des Vandales ont été rapides et, en mai 430, seules trois villes de l'Afrique romaine - Carthage, Hippo et Cirta - n'étaient pas prises. Le long siège d’Hippo (de mai 430 à juillet 431), mémorable pour la dernière maladie et la mort de saint Augustin, survenue au cours de sa progression, s’achève sans succès pour les Vandales. Enfin (le 30 janvier 435) la paix a été faite entre l'empereur Valentinian III. et Gaiseric. L'empereur devait conserver Carthage et la petite mais riche province proconsulaire dans laquelle elle était située, tandis qu'Hippo et les six autres provinces d'Afrique étaient abandonnés au Vandal. Gaiseric observa que ce traité ne lui convenait pas. Le 19 octobre 439, sans aucune déclaration de guerre, il attaque soudainement Carthage et le prend. L'occupation vandale de cette grande ville, la troisième parmi les villes de l'empire romain, dura quatre-vingt-quatorze ans. Gaiseric semble avoir compté les années de sa souveraineté à compter de la date de sa capture. Bien que la plupart des années restantes de la vie de Gaiseric aient été passées à la guerre, ses expéditions ont plutôt été pillé que par une conquête territoriale. En fait, il a fait de Carthage une forteresse de pirates, d'où il est sorti, comme les pirates de Barbarie d'un jour ultérieur, pour attaquer, comme il l'a dit lui-même, "les habitations des hommes avec qui Dieu est fâché", laissant la question qui thos

VANDALS (łac. Vandili lub Vandilii), termin używany przez wczesnych pisarzy tylko jako zbiorowe określenie grupy plemion krzyżackich, w tym, według Pliniusza, Burgundów i Gotów. Jako nazwa plemienna Vandali występuje najpierw w związku z wojną Marcomannic. Ludzie, dla których "nazwisko jest tam stosowane, wydają się być identyczni z tymi, którzy wcześniej nazywali się Lugii. Inne plemię zwane Silingae przez Ptolemeusza również pojawi się pośród Wandali w późniejszym czasie. Oba te plemiona zdają się zamieszkiwać górną część dorzecza Odry, a nazwa Silingae zachowała się na Śląsku. Wandale figurują w najwcześniejszych legendach zarówno Gotów, jak i Lembo, o których podobno natknęli się bez powodzenia. Po raz pierwszy zetknęli się z Rzymianami podczas wojny z Marcomannicami. W czasach Aurelian zaatakowali Pannonię, a za panowania Probusa znaleźliśmy ich walczących w Dacji. Za czasów Konstantyna I., według Jordanesa, poniosły one wielką klęskę z rąk Gebericha, króla Gotów, zabito ich własnego króla Visimara, a ci, którzy przeżyli, otrzymali pozwolenie od Rzymian na osiedlenie się w Panonii. Tutaj zdają się pozostawać pod wpływem Rzymian przez około sześćdziesiąt lat. W roku 406 przenieśli się na zachód, według niektórych pisarzy za namową Stilicho, który sam był uważany za pochodzącego z Wandali, a przejście przez Ren w Moguncji postępowało w kierunku Galii. Część narodu została jednak rzekomo pozostawiona, a Procopius opowiada historię, że te pozostałości wysłały ambasadę do Gaiserica, prosząc ich krewnych w Afryce, by wyrzekli się swoich roszczeń do ziem, które ich przodkowie trzymali w dawnych czasach. domy wyścigu. - (F. G. M. B.) W Gaul Wandale stoczyli wielką bitwę z Frankami, w których zostali pokonani wraz z utratą 2000 ludzi, a ich król Godegisel został zabity. W 409 roku jego syn Gunderic poprowadził ich przez Pireneje. Wygląda na to, że osiedlili się w Hiszpanii w dwóch oddziałach. Jeden, Asdingian Vandals, zajmował Galicję, drugi - Silingian i Andaluzję. Dwadzieścia lat krwawej i bezcelowej wojny z wojskami imperium i ich rodakami-barbarzyńcami, Gotami i Suevi. Sandyjskie Wandale zostały niemalże eksterminowane, ale ich bracia Asdingowie (z którymi byli teraz związani z resztkami ludu turańskiego, Alani, którzy zostali całkowicie pokonani przez Gotów) maszerowali przez Hiszpanię i opanowali Andaluzję. W roku 428 lub 429 cały naród wyruszył w podróż do Afryki, na zaproszenie otrzymane od króla z Bonifacego, hrabiego Afryki, który popadł w niełaskę na dworze w Rawennie. Gunderic był już martwy, a najwyższa władza znajdowała się w rękach jego bękartowego brata, który jest powszechnie znany w historii jako Genseric, chociaż bardziej poprawną formą jego imienia jest Gaiseric. Ten człowiek, niedojrzały i kulejący, ale posiadający wielką naturalną zdolność do wojny i panowania, lekkomyślny wobec życia ludzkiego i nieskrępowany sumieniem lub litością, przez pięćdziesiąt lat był bohaterem rasy Wandali i strachem Konstantynopola i Rzymu . Prawdopodobnie w maju 428 r. Zebrał cały swój lud na wybrzeżu Andaluzji i licząc wśród nich samców od greybearda aż do noworodka, znalazł ich około 8o, 000 dusz. Przejście zostało dokonane na statkach Bonifaciusa, który jednak wkrótce wrócił do dawnej lojalności, poprosił swoich nowych sojuszników, by opuścili Afrykę. Oni oczywiście odmówili, a Bonifacius zwrócił się przeciwko nim, zbyt późno, aby naprawić szkód, które spowodował. Pomimo sprzeciwu postęp Wandali był szybki, a do maja 430 roku tylko trzy miasta rzymskiej Afryki - Kartagina, Hippo i Cirta - pozostały niewykorzystane. Długie oblężenie Hippony (od 430 do 431 lipca), pamiętne z powodu ostatniej choroby i śmierci św. Augustyna, które nastąpiło podczas jej trwania, zakończyło się niepowodzeniem dla Wandali. W końcu (3 stycznia 435 r.) Zapanował pokój między cesarzem Walentyniana III. i Gaiseric. Cesarz miał zachować Kartaginę i małą, lecz bogatą prowincję prokonsularną, w której się znajdował, podczas gdy Hippo i pozostałe sześć prowincji Afryki zostały opuszczone na Wandal. Gaiseric przestrzegał tego traktatu nie dłużej, niż odpowiadał jego celowi. 19 października 439 roku, bez żadnej deklaracji wojny, nagle zaatakował Kartaginę i wziął ją. Wandal okupacja tego wielkiego miasta, trzeciego wśród miast imperium rzymskiego, trwała dziewięćdziesiąt cztery lata. Wydaje się, że Gaiseric policzył lata swojej suwerenności od daty schwytania. Chociaż większość pozostałych lat życia Gaiserica przeszła na wojnę, to raczej grabieże niż podbój terytorialny były przedmiotem jego wypraw. W rzeczywistości uczynił z Kartaginy fortecę piratów, skąd wyruszył jak piraci z Barbary w późniejszym dniu, by zaatakować, jak sam powiedział, "mieszkania ludzi, z których Bóg jest zły", pozostawiając pytanie kto thos

VANDALS (Lat. Vandili ou Vandilii), um termo usado pelos primeiros escritores apenas como uma designação coletiva para um grupo de tribos teutônicas, incluindo, de acordo com Plínio, os burgúndios e os godos. Como um nome tribal, Vandali ocorre primeiro em conexão com a Guerra Marcomanica. As pessoas a quem o nome é aplicado parecem ser idênticas àquelas anteriormente conhecidas como Lugii. Outra tribo chamada Silingae por Ptolomeu também aparece entre os vândalos mais tarde. Ambas as tribos parecem ter habitado a parte superior da bacia do Oder, e o nome das Silingae está preservado na Silésia. Os vândalos figuram nas lendas mais antigas, tanto dos godos quanto dos lembo, os quais dizem ter encontrado sem sucesso. Eles primeiro entraram em contato com os romanos durante a guerra Marcomannic. No tempo de Aureliano eles invadiram a Panônia, e durante o reinado de Probus os encontramos lutando na Dacia. Na época de Constantino I., de acordo com Jordanes, eles sofreram uma grande derrota nas mãos de Geberich, rei dos godos, seu próprio rei Visimar sendo morto, e os sobreviventes foram autorizados pelos romanos a se estabelecerem na Panônia. Aqui eles parecem ter permanecido em sujeição aos romanos por cerca de sessenta anos. No ano 406 eles se mudaram para o oeste, de acordo com alguns escritores por instigação de Stilicho, que ele mesmo disse ter sido de origem vândala, e cruzando o Reno em Mainz, seguindo em direção à Gália. Uma porção da nação, no entanto, teria ficado para trás, e Procópio conta uma história de que esses remanescentes enviaram uma embaixada a Gaiserico, pedindo que seus parentes na África renunciassem às suas terras nas terras que seus antepassados tinham mantido na antiga. casas da raça. - (F. G. M. B.) Na Gália, os vândalos lutaram uma grande batalha com os francos, em que foram derrotados com a perda de 2.000 homens, e seu rei Godegisel foi morto. Em 409 seu filho Gunderic conduziu-os através dos Pireneus. Eles parecem ter se estabelecido na Espanha em dois destacamentos. Um, os vândalos asdingianos, ocupavam a Galícia, o outro, o silingiano, a Andaluzia. Vinte anos de guerra sangrenta e sem propósito com os exércitos do império e com seus companheiros bárbaros, os godos e os suevos, vieram em seguida. Os vândalos silingianos foram quase exterminados, mas seus irmãos asdingianos (com os quais agora estavam associados os restos mortais de um povo turaniano, os alani, que haviam sido totalmente derrotados pelos godos) marcharam pela Espanha e tomaram posse da Andaluzia. Em 428 ou 429, toda a nação partiu para a África, mediante um convite recebido - por seu rei de Bonifácio, conde da África, que havia caído em desgraça com a corte de Ravena. Gunderic estava agora morto, e o poder supremo estava nas mãos de seu irmão bastardo, que é geralmente conhecido na história como Genserico, embora a forma mais correta de seu nome seja Genserico. Este homem, de estatura baixa e de andar mancando, mas com uma grande capacidade natural de guerra e domínio, indiferente à vida humana e irrestrito pela consciência ou piedade, foi durante cinquenta anos o herói da raça vândalo e o terror de Constantinopla e Roma. . Provavelmente, no mês de maio de 428, ele reuniu todo o seu povo na costa da Andaluzia e, contando os machos entre eles desde o menino de barba até o recém-nascido, descobriu-se que chegavam a oitenta mil almas. A passagem foi efetuada nos navios de Bonifacius, que, no entanto, logo retornando à sua antiga lealdade, suplicou aos seus novos aliados que partissem da África. Eles, é claro, recusaram, e Bonifácio se voltou contra eles, tarde demais, no entanto, para consertar o dano que causara. Apesar de sua oposição, o progresso dos vândalos foi rápido e, em maio de 430, apenas três cidades da África romana - Cartago, Hipopótamo e Cirta - permaneceram à solta. O longo cerco de Hipona (maio de 430 a julho de 431), memorável para a última doença e morte de Santo Agostinho, que ocorreu durante o seu progresso, terminou sem sucesso para os vândalos. Finalmente (3 de janeiro de 435) a paz foi feita entre o imperador Valentiniano III. e Genserico. O imperador deveria reter Cartago e a pequena mas rica província proconsular em que estava situado, enquanto Hipona e as outras seis províncias da África foram abandonadas ao vândalo. Gaiseric observou que esse tratado não era mais do que adequado ao seu propósito. Em 19 de outubro de 439, sem qualquer declaração de guerra, ele subitamente atacou Cartago e tomou-o. A ocupação vândalo desta grande cidade, a terceira entre as cidades do Império Romano, durou noventa e quatro anos. Genserico parece ter contado os anos de sua soberania a partir da data de sua captura. Embora a maior parte dos anos restantes da vida de Gaiserico tenha passado na guerra, a pilhagem, e não a conquista territorial, parece ter sido o objeto de suas expedições. Ele fez, de fato, de Cartago uma fortaleza de piratas, de onde ele saiu, como os piratas bárbaros de um dia posterior, para atacar, como ele mesmo disse, "as moradas dos homens com quem Deus está zangado", deixando a questão: quem thos