The Vandals – from the East to Africa

History & Finds The Vandals: More Than a Term of Abuse

The Vandals were an East Germanic people whom Tacitus counts, under the name Vandilii, among the old Germanic tribal groups. Originally between the Oder and the Vistula, they moved west in the Migration Period.

Shield boss and spear tips from a Vandal grave — Iron shield boss and spear tips from a Vandal grave near Zalău, 3rd–4th century. Celtic Museum Manching. Wolfgang Sauber, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The long march to Africa

Their path led through Gaul and Spain all the way to North Africa. Under King Geiseric they took Carthage in 439 and founded a powerful sea kingdom that dominated large parts of the western Mediterranean.

The sack of Rome in 455

In AD 455 the Vandals took Rome and plundered it for two weeks – methodically, not indiscriminately. The kingdom lasted until 534, when it was conquered by the Eastern Roman general Belisarius.

"To the Germani belong the Vandilii … an old and genuine name."after Tacitus, Germania 2 (public domain, own translation)

An East Germanic people

The Vandals were an East Germanic people whom Tacitus already knows as the "Vandilii". Originally at home in the east of Central Europe, in the Migration Period they became one of the most far-reaching peoples of antiquity – their path led from the Baltic to North Africa.

The long march south

Driven by the pressure of the Huns, the Vandals crossed the Rhine in 406, moved through Gaul and Spain and finally crossed over to North Africa. There under King Geiseric they founded a mighty kingdom with Carthage as capital.

The sack of Rome 455

In AD 455 Geiseric conquered Rome and plundered the city for two weeks – thoroughly, but according to the report of Prosper without fire and bloodshed. This sack made the name of the Vandals notorious for all time.

A kingdom at sea

The Vandal kingdom dominated the western Mediterranean with a strong fleet until it was conquered in 534 by the East Roman general Belisarius. Thus ended one of the most astonishing migrations in history.

Evidence: Tacitus (Germania 2) names the Vandilii; the sack of Rome in 455 and the North African kingdom are attested in Prosper, Procopius and others.

Myth check: The term "vandalism" for blind destructive fury was coined only in 1794 by the French bishop Grégoire – over 1300 years after the Vandals. The historical Vandals were no more destructive than other peoples of their time; their sack of Rome was even comparatively disciplined.

What is documented: Vandilii in Tacitus (Germania 2), the march through Gaul/Spain, Geiseric's kingdom with Carthage (from 439), the sack of Rome in 455 and the end in 534 (Procopius, late-antique historians).

What is interpretation: "Vandalism" as a word for blind destructiveness only arose in 1794 in the French Revolution (Abbé Grégoire) – the historical Vandals sacked Rome deliberately and, according to the sources, largely spared people and churches. The insult is a modern distortion.

The Vandals belong to the great East Germanic wandering peoples – like the Goths and Heruli. Continue with them.

Glanz & Gravur — From our workshop: Germanic motifs on natural slate, laser-engraved. To the shop →

Sources & literature

Tacitus, Germania 2; Procopius, Vandalic War; late-antique historians; quote public domain (own translation).

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The Vandals: More Than a Term of Abuse

The long march to Africa

The sack of Rome in 455

An East Germanic people

The long march south

The sack of Rome 455

A kingdom at sea

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Sources & literature

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