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			The <b>Vandals</b> were a ] that entered the late ], sacking ] in ] before moving westwards towards ]and North Africa. The Vandals gave their name to the province of Andalusia (originally, ''Vandalusia''), in Spain, where some of them settled. Their name became a byword for meaningless destruction.
	] (1824-1904)]]
	{{Redirect2\|Vandal\|Vandali}}

	The '''Vandals''' were an ] that entered the late ] during the ]. The Vandals may have given their name to the region of ], which was originally ''Vandalusia'', then Arabic ''Al-Andalus'', in the south of ], where they temporarily settled before pushing on to ].

	The ] ], king of the ] and regent of the ], was allied by marriage with the Vandals, as well as with the ] and the ] under ].

			The Vandals adopted ], a branch of Christianity that believed that ] was not God, but a separate created being directly beneath God. This belief was in opposition to the belief of the main Christian group in the Roman Empire, which later grew into ] and ].
	==Origins==
	The Vandals were first identified with ] in the ] {{fact}}. Controversy surrounds potential connections between the Vandals and another possibly ], the ] (Lygier, Lugier or Lygians). Some academics believe that either Lugii was an earlier name of the Vandals, or the Vandals were part of the Lugian federation.

	] (green) in the first half of the ]. The map shows the extent of the ] (]) in red, a Baltic culture (]?) in yellow, and the Debczyn Culture, pink. The ] is purple.]]

	Similarities of names have suggested homelands for the Vandals in ] (Hallingdal), ] (]), or ] (]). The Vandals are assumed to have crossed the Baltic into what is today Poland somewhere in the ], and to have settled in ] from around ]. ] recorded their presence between the ] and ] rivers in ''Germania'' (]); his identification was corroborated by later historians: according to ], they and the ] were displaced by the arrival of the ]. This tradition supports the identification of the Vandals with the ], since the Gothic ] seems to have replaced a branch of that culture.
	{{main\|connection between Poles and Vandals}}

			Under their king, Geiseric, the Vandals settled in the Roman provinces of ] and Africa in 428, when ] was bishop of Hippo. Their movement eastwards across Africa were halted when they were defeated by ] forces led by ] on behalf of the emperor ] in 533.
	In ], there was a popular belief that Vandals were ancestors of Poles. That belief originated probably because of two facts: first, confusion of the ] with Vandals and secondly, because both Venedes and Vandals in ancient times lived in areas later settled by Poles. In ], in the '']'', one can find an excerpt saying, "Pipinus ... perrexit in regionem Wandalorum, et ipsi Wandali venerunt obvium" ("] went to the region of the Vandals, which Vandals did come out to oppose him"). In '']'', the same raid (however, put in ]) is summarised in one short message, "Wandali conquisiti sunt" ("The Vandals were destroyed"). This means that early medieval writers gave the name of Vandals to ].

	==History==
	The Vandals were divided in two tribal groups, the ] and the ]. At the time of the War of the Marcomanni (166-181) the Silingi lived in an area recorded for centuries as ''Magna Germania'', now ]. In the ], the ], led by the kings ] and ] (or Rhaus and Raptus) moved south, and first attacked the ] in the lower Danube area, in about 271 the Roman Emperor ] was obliged to protect the middle course of the Danube against them. They made peace and settled in western ] (]) and Roman ].

	According to ]' ''History of the Goths'', the Hasdingi came into conflict with the ] around the time of ]. At the time, the Vandals were living in lands later inhabited by the ], where they were surrounded "on the east the Goths, on the west the ], on the north the ] and on the south the Hister (])." The Vandals were attacked by the Gothic king ], and their king ] was killed. The Vandals then migrated to ], where after ] (about 330) granted them lands on the right bank of the Danube, they lived for the next sixty years.

	In ] or ], possibly because of attacks by the ], the Vandals along with their allies, (the Sarmatian ] and Germanic ]), started to move westward under king ]. Some of the Silingi joined them later. Around this time, the Hasdingi had already been ]. Through the Emperor ] (364-78) the Vandals accepted, much like the ] earlier, ], a belief that was in opposition to that of the main Trinitarian Christianity in the Roman Empire, which later grew into ] and ], yet there were also some scattered orthodox Vandals, among whom was general ], the minister of the Emperor ].

	===Gaul===
	In 406 the Vandals advanced from Pannonia travelling west along the Danube without much difficulty, but when they reached the Rhine, they met resistance from the ], who populated and controlled Romanized regions in northern ]. Twenty thousand Vandals, including Godigisel himself, died in the resulting battle, but then with the help of the Alans they managed to defeat the Franks, and on ], ] the Vandals crossed the frozen ] to invade Gaul, which they devastated terribly. Under Godigisel's son ], the Vandals plundered their way westward and southward through ].

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	===Iberia===
	In October ] they crossed the ] into the ]. There they received land from the Romans, as ], in ] (Northwest) and ] (South), while the ] got lands in ] (West) and the region around ]. The ] also controlled part of Gallaecia. The ], who invaded Iberia before receiving lands in ] (Southern France), crushed the Alans in 426, killing the western Alan king, Attaces. The remainder of his people subsequently appealed to the Vandal king ] to accept the Alan crown. Later Vandal kings in North Africa styled themselves ''Rex Wandalorum et Alanorum'' ("King of the Vandals and Alans").

	===Africa===
	From 427 their king was ] (Genseric, Gaiseric), Gunderic's half brother, who proved to be the one great Vandal king. He started building a Vandal fleet, which in 429 landed in North Africa with about 80,000 of his followers. It is a disputed point whether he was called to Africa by the Roman governor Boniface on account of the intrigues of Aetius.
	In ], after becoming king, Geiseric crossed the ] and moved east toward ]. Peace was made between the Romans who in ] granted them some territory in Northern Africa, but it was broken by Genseric, who in ] made Carthage his capital after he had thoroughly plundered it. Geiseric then built the Kingdom of the Vandals and Alans into a powerful state with a capital at ]; he conquered ], ], ] and the ].

	Differences between the ] faith adhered to by the Vandals and Rome's ] or ]s was a constant source of tensions in their African state. Most Vandal kings, except ], more or less persecuted Catholics. Members of the clergy were exiled, monasteries were dissolved, and general pressure was used on non-conforming Catholics. Although Catholicism was rarely officially forbidden (the last months of ]'s reign being an exception), they were forbidden from making converts among the Vandals, and life was generally difficult for the Catholic clergy, who were denied bishoprics.

	===Sack of Rome===
	During the next thirty-five years with a large fleet Geiseric ravaged the coasts of the Eastern and Western Empires. In ], the Vandals took ] and plundered the city for two weeks starting ]. They departed with countless valuables, including spoils of the ] brought to Rome by ], and the Empress ] and her daughters ] and ]. It is asserted that the Empress Eudoxia had asked him to free her from her hated marriage with the Emperor ], the murderer of her husband ], but this is probably a fable.

	It is said that on 2 June, 455, pope ] received Genseric and implored him to abstain from murder and destruction by fire, and to be satisfied with pillage. Whether the pope's influence saved Rome is, however, questioned; moreover, the Vandals had only booty in mind, nor was the plundering as extreme as later tradition and the expression "Vandalism" would imply.

	===Temporary consolidation===
	From 462, the Vandal kingdom included North Africa and the islands of the Mediterranean, that is Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and the Balearic Islands, but like the other Germanic kingdoms on Roman soil, the kingdom of the Vandals in Africa soon began to decay from the lack of unity of religion and of race among the two populations.

	By ] they destroyed an enormous ] fleet sent against them.

	The Arian Vandals treated the Catholics more harshly than other German peoples. Catholic bishops were punished by Genseric with deposition, exile, or death, and laymen were excluded from office and frequently suffered confiscation of their property. It is said of Genseric himself that he was originally a Catholic and had changed to Arianism about 428; this, however, is probably an invention. He protected his Catholic subjects when his relations with Rome and Constantinople were friendly, as during the years 454-57, when the Catholic community at Carthage, being without a head, elected Deogratias bishop. The same was also the case during the years 476-77 when Bishop Victor of Cartenna sent him, during a period of peace, a sharp refutation of Arianism and suffered no punishment.

	===Decline===
	Genseric, one of the most powerful personalities of the era of the Migrations, had been the terror of the seas. He died at a great age on 25 January, 477. According to the law of succession which he had promulgated, not the son but the oldest male member of the royal house was to succeed to the throne (law of seniority). He was succeeded by his incompetent son ] (Hunerich, 477- 484), who at first protected the Catholics, owing to his fear of Constantinople. But from 482 Huneric's reign was mostly notable for its religious persecutions of the ] and Catholics in the most terrible manner.

	] (]–]), his cousin and successor, sought internal peace with the Catholics and protected them once more. Externally, the Vandal power had been declining since Geiseric's death, and Gunthamund lost large parts of Sicily to the ]s, and had to withstand increasing pressure from the ].

	While ] (496- 523), owing to his religious fanaticism, was hostile to Catholics, he contented himself with bloodless persecutions.

	===The turbulent end===
	] (Hilderich, ]–]) was the most Catholic-friendly of the Vandal kings, who favoured them and granted religious freedom; consequently Catholic synods were once more held in North Africa. However, he had little interest in war, and left it to a family member, ]. When Hoamer suffered a defeat against the Moors, the ] faction within the royal family led a revolt, raising the banner of national Arianism, and his cousin ] (]–]) became king. Hilderic, Hoamer and their relatives were thrown into prison. Hilderich was deposed and murdered in 533.

	This was taken as an excuse for interference by the Byzantine Emperor ], who declared war on the Vandals. The action was led by ]. Having heard that the greatest part of the Vandal fleet was fighting an uprising in Sardinia, he decided to act quickly, and landed on Tunisian soil, then marched on to Carthage. In the late summer of ], King Gelimer met Belisarius ten miles south of Carthage at the ]. The Vandals were winning the battle at first, but when Gelimer's nephew Gibamund fell in battle, the Vandals lost heart and fled. Belisarius quickly took Carthage while the surviving Vandals fought on.

	On ], ], Gelimer and Belisarius clashed again at ], some 20 miles from Carthage. Again, the Vandals fought well but broke, this time when Gelimer's brother ] fell in battle. Belisarius quickly advanced to ], second city of the Vandal Kingdom, and in ] Gelimer surrendered to the Roman conqueror, ending the Kingdom of the Vandals. North Africa became a Roman province, from which the Vandals were expelled. Gelimer was honourably treated and received large estates in Galicia. He was also offered the rank of a patrician but had to refuse it because he was not willing to change his Arian faith.

	===List of kings===
	#] (—])
	#] (]–])
	#] (]–])
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	==Vandalic language==
	{{main\|Vandalic language}}
	Very little is known about the ] which was of the ] linguistic branch, closely related to ] (known from ]'s Bible translation), both completely extinct. Some traces may remain in ], the southernmost group of ] dialects, which is however far more strongly permeated with Arabic from the later Moors (711 to 1492, first and last Muslim rule in Iberia).

	==Modern heritage==
	*The name ] (Spain's southernmost region) is most likely derived from the ethnic name "Vandal"
	*The term "vandal" has come to mean senseless destruction as a result the Vandals' sack of Rome under King ] in 455. Historians agree that the Vandals didn't damage the city any more than did other invaders. During the ], Rome was idealized, so the Goths and Vandals were disparaged. ] writes, ''Till Goths, and Vandals, a rude Northern race, Did all the matchless Monuments deface.'' (1694). The word "goth" has gained other associations since that time, but "vandal" has not. The abstract term vandalism is from the French ''vandalisme'', first used by Henri Grégoire, Bishop of Blois during the French revolution. "I created the word, to kill the thing," he said. The verb ''vandalize'' is first recorded in 1800.
	*The Vandals are the ] of the ].
	*] is the name for a ] area ] band.
	*Vandals RFC is a ] Football Club in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
	*Robin Hemley's ], ''The Liberation of Rome''<ref>Anthologized in Shapard and Thomas, ''Sudden Fiction (Continued)'' (New York: W. W. Norton, 1996; previously appeared in ''North Carolina Humanities'' and ''The Big Ear: Stories by Robin Hemley''</ref> depicts a conversation between a professor of ] and a hostile student of "over half" Vandal ancestry.

	==Sources and references==
	*], ''Byzantium: The Early Centuries''
	*Westermann, ''Grosser Atlas zur Weltgeschichte'' (in German)
	*]
	*{{Catholic}}
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	* Ivor J. Davidson, ''A Public Faith'', Chapter 11, ''Christians and Barbarians'', Volume 2 of Baker History of the Church, 2005, ISBN 0801012759
	* Victor of Vita, ''History of the Vandal Persecution'' ISBN 0853231273. Written 484, non-NPOV primary source.
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	==See also==
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Revision as of 04:33, 10 June 2006

The Vandals were a Germanic group that entered the late Roman Empire, sacking Rome in 455 before moving westwards towards Spainand North Africa. The Vandals gave their name to the province of Andalusia (originally, Vandalusia), in Spain, where some of them settled. Their name became a byword for meaningless destruction.

The Vandals adopted Arianism, a branch of Christianity that believed that Jesus Christ was not God, but a separate created being directly beneath God. This belief was in opposition to the belief of the main Christian group in the Roman Empire, which later grew into Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

Under their king, Geiseric, the Vandals settled in the Roman provinces of Numidia and Africa in 428, when Augustine was bishop of Hippo. Their movement eastwards across Africa were halted when they were defeated by Byzantine forces led by Belisarius on behalf of the emperor Justinian I in 533.

/Talk