VANDALS (Lat. banduli, Vinda probably connected with Cloth. wandjan, 0IIG. went ml, Ger. wenden, AS. Iren clan Eng. wrnd, to turn, go). An ancient Germanic people. Pro copius states that they originally occupied the country about the Pains (Sea of Azov), but it would appear that afterwards they mi grated to the northwest, and settled south of the Baltic, between the rivers Vistula and Viadua ((der). They make their first appearance in history in the second century A.D., at which time they inhabited the region to the northeast of the Riesengebirge, and figure as the associates of the Marcomanni and Quadi in the plundering expedi tions into Pannonia, and the wars with Marcus Aurelius. In the latter half of the third century they are found in the Roman province of Dacia, along with Cloths and Gepidre. According to dor (lanes, the Gothic King Geberic annihilated a large part of the nation on the banks of the Maros. The remainder were transplanted by Con stantine to Pannonia (about A.D. 334), where they lived in peace for sixty years. But at the be ginning of the fifth century. urged. it is said. by Stilicho, they abandoned their riee^ homes, and in company with the Suevi, Alani, and Bnrgundians, led by their King, (;odegisil, burst into Gaul, which they 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 Badica, which received from them the name of l'toulatiiiti (modern Andalu sia). in 429, at the call of Bonifacins, Boman governor of Africa, they crossed the strait of Gib raltar, under their leader, Genseric (q.v.), in one resistless horde (numbering 50.000 to 80,000 in ), carrying devastation and ruin from the shores of the Atlantic to the frontiers of Cyrene. They were joined by the Donatists (q.v.), a sect of African heretics, and being themselves Arians, they inflicted great cruelties upon the orthodox Christians. Meantime Bonifacius endeavored to undo his treachery. Ile marched against the Vandals, hut was defeated with considerable loss, and driven into Hippo (now Bona), which he de fended for more than fourteen months.
enforced by a Byzantine army under Aepar, he sallied out against the Vandals, and a second de feat decided the fate of Africa. In 439 Genseric broke the peace which lie had concluded with Valentinian III. in 435, and conquered Carth age. A new peace was established which recog nized the authority of the Vandals over North Africa from the Atlantic to Cyrene, over the Balearic Isles. Sardinia, Corsica, and part of Sicily. In 455 the Vandals invaded Italy, and plundered Rome for fourteen days. After the death of Genseric (477). his son, Hunneric, cruel ly persecuted the Catholics. Ile warred against the Moorish races in North Africa, who were trying to recover their independence, and kept the Mediterranean in a state of alarm by his piracies. His successors, Guntamund (484-496) and Tlfras amund (496-523). were comparatively until and tolerant rulers. But the warm climate and the love of luxurious pleasure now began to enervate the spirit of the Vandals. Thrasamund was com pelled to solicit aid from his brother-in-law, The odoric (q.v.), who sent a Gothic contingent to him to help him against the Moors of Tripoli. After his death, Hilderie (523-530), a son of Hunneric, became ruler, hut his subjects grew discontented, and he was overthrown by his uncle, Gelimer, in 530. This led the Greek Emperor Justinian to send an expedition, under Bclisarius, against Gelimer. When the latter heard of the arrival of the Byzantine general, lie caused Hil deric and his sons be put to death. but was himself soon after forced to seek refuge in Nu midia. In 533 he surrendered, was carried to Con stantinople in triumph, and ended his life in Asia Minor. Most of the Vandals were drafted into the Imperial army. and were lost in the wars with Persia. The few who remained in Africa rapidly disappeared among the natives. sult: Papencordt. Geschiehte der vandalise/len Herrschaft in Afrika (Berlin, 1837) Wrede, Die Sprache der Fandalen (Strassburg, 1800).