![]() Since he controlled the breadbasket of the Western Roman Empire, Gaiseric proclaimed an independent kingdom. The Alano-Vandals conquered northern Africa in one decade. In 439 Gaiseric dared to conquer Carthage, the second most important town in the Western part of the Roman Empire. In 435 the western roman emperor Valentinian III (425 – 455) gave them the status of allies. ![]() For example, in 430 they conquered Hippo Regius, the bishop of this town, Augustine, died during the siege. The Vandals used the situation to conquer a number of very important cities. The situation that they found was quite chaotic, because there was a raging battle between the Catholics and Donatists. In 429 the Vandals landed on the shores of northern Africa. Allegedly there were 80,000 people, 20 to 25,000 warriors. The census was made among all the males of the Hasdingi and Alans, as well as for the slaves and freemen. Victor, the bishop of the African town of Vita, writes that Gaiseric firstly counted his men to see how much ships will be needed for the transport. Gaiseric made the decision to cross into northern Africa with the Alans from the Iberian Peninsula, since the Vandals were exhausted from all the fighting. Another Visigoth ruler, Theodoric II (451-466), destroyed the Suebi state in Galicia in 456. The Vandal tribe of the Silingi was almost completely annihilated by the Visigoth king Wallia (414-418). Since the Visigoths were formally accepting the western Roman emperor and his rule they waged war against their Germanic brethren on their own behalf, and for the good of the Roman emperor. The Visigoths advanced into the Iberian Peninsula in 413 under their king Ataulf (410 – 414). The Alans settled in Lusitania, which is nowadays Portugal. The Hasdingi and Suebi settled in the region of Galicia in southwestern Spain, while the Silingi settled in the region of Baetica in southern Spain. They crossed the Pyrenean Mountains in the same year where they formed various states. They entered Roman Gaul and settled there until 409. They crossed the frozen Rhine River along with the Suebi, Alans, Alemanii and Burgundians early in the fifth century. By the end of the fourth century and with the emergence of the Huns the Vandals left Pannonia and started heading towards Noricum and Raetia. They invaded Transylvania in 335 under the leadership of their king Wisimar, but they were defeated by the Goths. The Vandals converted to Arian Christianity in Pannonia. The Roman Emperor Constantine the Great (324-337) officially granted them the right to settle in Pannonia if they agree to serve in the Roman army as cavalrymen. ![]() In Pannonia the Vandals mastered horsemanship. They were driven from it later by the Goths, and they migrated into Roman Pannonia. Even though Dacia was no longer a Roman province from 270, the Vandals stayed in the general area. During the third century the Vandals invaded Roman provinces from the territory of Dacia. In 174 the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius granted them the right to settle in the territory of Dacia (today’s Romania). Accompanying the Marcomanni, they were involved in the so called Marcomannic Wars (165-180). ![]() In the second half of the second century the Vandals started migrating to the south. The Harii were also known as the Hasdingi which was a name that came from their ruler dynasty. Tacitus asserts that the Harii were a part of the Lugii, which were not the same as the Germans which made up the Suebi (their kingdom was destroyed by Visigoths) tribal alliance. They had two main groups, the Harii and the Silingi. They were settling around the Oder River area in the first century.
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