GENSERIC, King of the Vandals, was the bastard brother of Geo detic, whom he succeeded A.D. 429. In the same year he left Spain, which had been partly conquered by the Vandals, and crossed over into Africa at the solicitation of Boniface, governor of that province, who had been induced, by the arts of his rival tEtius, to rebel against Valentinisn III., emperor of the West. Boniface soon repented of the step he had taken, and advanced to meet the invader. But his repentance came too late. The Moors joined the standard of Genseric, and the powerful sect of the Donatists, who had been cruelly perse cuted by the Catholics, assisted him against their oppressors. Boniface was dofeated,and obliged to retire into Hippo Regius, where he remained till he obtained a fresh supply of troops. Having ventured upon a second battle, and being again defeated, he abandoned the province to the barbarians, and sailed away to Italy. A peace was concluded be tween Generic and the emperor of the West, by which all Africa, to the west of Carthage, was ceded to the Vandals. This however did not long continue; and the city of Carthage was taken by the Van dals by surprise in 439. The emperors of the West and East made great preparations for the recovery of the province; but an alliance which Genseric formed with Attila, king of the Huns, effectually secured him against their attempts.
Genseric's next object was directed to the formation of a naval power; an immense number of ships was built, and his fleets ravaged the shores of Sicily and Italy. Invited by the empress Eudoxia, he sailed up the Tiber (455), and permitted his soldiers, for the space of fourteen days, to pillage Rome. In 460 he destroyed the fleet which the emperor Majorian had collected for the invasion of Africa; and as his power increased his ravages became more extensive ; the island of Sardinia was conquered, and Spain, Italy, Sicily, Greece, Egypt, and Asia Minor, were plundered every year by the Vandal pirates. Leon, the emperor of Constantinople, at last resolved to make a vigorous effort for the recovery of Africa. A. great army was assembled, and the command was given to Basilicus. He lauded at Bona, and at first met with considerable success, but was at length obliged to retire from the province. After this victory Genscric met with no further oppo sition, but remained undisturbed master of the sea till his death, which .happened in 477. He was euceeded by his son Hunneric. Geuserio was an Arian, and is said to have persecuted the Catholics with great cruelty.
(Procopius, .De Bell. Vandal; Gibbon, Decline and Pall, c. —xxxvi.)