VANDALS (Lat. Yana11, also Vindili and Vandult), a famous race of European bar barians, probably of Germanic, though some consider them of Slavonic origin. Procopius, who agrees with Pliny in considering them one with the Goths, states that they on occupied the country about the Palm Althotis (sea of Azov), but it would appear that afterward they migrated to the n.w., and settled s. of the Baltic, between the riv ers Vistula and Viadus (Oder). They make their first appearance, however, as a his toric people in the 2d c. A.D. , at which time they inhabited the north-eastern slopespf the Riesengebirge (called after them, Vandalici monies), and figure as the associates of the Marcomauni and Quadi in the into Pannonia, and the wars with Marcus Aurelius. In the latter half of tire3d c., they are found in the Roman prov ince of Dacia, along with Goths and Gepidte. According to Jornandes, the Gothic king, Geberic, annihilated a large pint of the nation on the banks of the Maros. The remainder were transplanted by Constantine to Pannonia, where they lived in peace for GO years. But at the beginning of the 5th c., urged, it is said by Stilicho, they aban doned their new homes, and in company with the Suevi, Alani, and other German tribes, led by their king, Godegisil, burst into Gaul, which they miserably wasted for the space of three years. Thence they swept through the passes of the Pyrenees into Spain, which experienced a similar fate; and finally, after much quarreling and fighting with their German associates, they settled in a part of Medea, which received from them the name of Vandahtie (mod. Andalusia). In 429, at the call of Bonifecius, governor of Africa, who, from being the most reliable bulwark which the western empire possessed, had been driven into rebellion by the false representations of Aetius (see VALENTINIA_NUS III.), they crossed the strait of Gibraltar, under their leader, Gen eerie (q.v.), in one resistless horde (numbering 50,000 to 80.000 in all), carrying devasta tion and ruin from the shores of the Atlantic to the frontiers of Cyrene. They wet it joined by the Donatists (q.v.), a sect of African heretics, and being themselves Arians, they inflicted great cruelties upon the orthodox Christians. Meantime Bold face had discovered the treachery of his rival Aetius, and set himself, when too late, to remedy the dreadful consequences of his too credulous resentment. lie advanced with a small and hastily-levied force, but was defeated with considerable loss, and driven into Hippo (now Bona), which he defended for more than 14 months. Doting
the siege St. Augustine died—Aug. 28, 430. Boniface, re enforced by a Byzantine army under Aspar, now sallied'out upon the Vandals, and a second defeat decided the fate of Africa. In 439 Genseric broke the peace which he had concluded with Valeutinian III., in 435, and conquered Carthage. A new peace was established which recognized the authority of the Vandals over n. Africa from the Atlantic to Cyrene, over the Bale aric isles, Sardinia, Corsica, and part of Sicily. In 455 the Vandals invaded Italy, and plundered Rome for 14 days. The manner in which they mutilated and destroyed the works of art collected in the city, has originated the application of the term Vandalism to all similar barbarism. After the death of Genseric (477), his son, Hunnerie, cruelly persecuted the Catholics; warred against the Moorish races in a. Africa, who were trying to recover their independence, and kept the Mediterranean in a state of alarmby his piracies. His successors, Guntamund (d. 496) and Thrasamund (d. 523), were comparatively mild and tolerant rulers; the latter was even friendly to literature But the warm climate, and the love of luxurious pleasure, now began to enervate the spirit of the Vandals; and the natives in different parts. of Africa, showed unmistaka bly that they had ceased to fear them. Thrasamund was compelled to solicit aid from his brother-In-law, Theodoric (q.v.), who sent him a Gothic contingent to help him against the Moors of Tripoli. After his death, Hilderic, a son of Hunneric, became tuler, but he showed such strong leanings toward Catholicism (owing to his long resi knee in Constantinople), that his subjects grew discontented, and he was overthrown by his uncle, Gelimer, in no. This led to the emperor Justinian sending an expedi tion, under Belisarias, against Gelimer in 533. When the latter beard of the arri val of the great Byzantine general, he caused Hilderic and his sons to be put to death. but was himself soon after forced to seek refuge in the wilds of Numidia. In 534 he surrendered, was carried to Constantinople in triumph, and ended his life in Asia Minor. Most of the Vandals were drafted into the imperial army, and "used up" in the wars with Persia. The few who remained in Africa rapidly disappeared among, the natives.—See the various histories of the Roman empire; also Papencordt, Gs settle/We der Vandal; Hertschaft in Afrika (Berl. 1837).