Download geiseric - Mynewsdesk

GEISERIC
TRIBE: Vandals
REGION: Mediterranean
ROMANS KILLED:
Unknown
In the years after
establishing Carthage
as their seat of power,
the Vandals took to
looting the coasts of the
Eastern and Western
empires. Their activity in
the Mediterranean was
so extensive that the
sea’s name in Old
English was Wendel-sæ
(“Sea of the Vandals”).
Last Barbarian Standing
Geiseric was born around AD
Soldiers) of Roman North Africa,
gain, shrewd in winning over the
389, the illegitimate child of
Boniface, was in fear of his
barbarians and skilled in sowing
the great Vandal king
position due to intrigues at
the seeds of dissent to his own
Godigisel. When Geiseric was
Rome. As a result, he agreed
advantage.
elected King in AD 428, the
with Geiseric that a number of
Vandals had long been a
Vandals could settle in Africa,
Arriving in Libya, he found that
wandering people. Driven by
and work as mercenaries to
Boniface no longer required his
the advance of the Huns, the
support his position. In a
services and was demanding
Vandals crossed the northern
massive operation, Geiseric
that the Vandals return to Spain.
Rhine frontier of the Empire in
moved the entire Vandal
But Geiseric could see the great
AD 406 and found their way to
people – more than 20,000
opportunity presented by the
Spain. There they settled, but
warriors along with 60,000 non-
fertile lands of North Africa. He
as Geiseric’s rule began, they
combatant families – across the
refused to leave and the
came under attack by the
Straits of Gibraltar.
Vandals defeated the Roman
Visigoths and soon migrated
to North Africa.
force sent by Boniface to evict
Geiseric seems to have been a
man of deep thought and few
At the time, the Roman
words, disdainful of luxury,
magister militum (Master of
furious in his anger, greedy for
The Vandals were described
by the 6th century Byzantine
historian Procopius as tall,
blonde-haired and
“handsome to look upon.”
them. They next conquered
resourcefulness, Geiseric set
bribe Attila to attack the Roman
the coastal territory up to the
about transforming his
border and prevent the Romans
town of Hippo Regius and
Vandals into the
amassing their army against him.
settled down to starve the city
Mediterranean’s most
out. Eventually after fourteen
formidable pirates. In AD 440,
bitter months, he entered the
they captured and sacked
city and made it the capital of
the heart of the
the new Vandal kingdom in
Mediterranean, Sicily, and
AD 435. The victory was the
although a Roman
gateway to Geiseric’s true
counterattack in 441
prize: Carthage, a vital supply
reclaimed the island, the
line for the Romans, who had
Vandals continued to raid
ruled it for nearly 600 years. For
freely around southern Europe
four years, Geiseric meekly
while Rome struggled to deal
cooperated with the Romans,
with Attila.
then suddenly in AD 339, while
the Western Roman forces
were occupied with the Goths
and Franks, he made his move,
seizing Carthage in a surprise
attack.
In this brilliant coup, Geiseric
acquired not only Carthage,
but the Roman ships moored in
its port. Again showing his
In the 450s the Vandals
enjoyed a prosperous peace
with the Empire. Geiseric was
pressing the reluctant
emperor to hand over his
daughter Eudocia for the
In AD 455 Emperor Valentinian is
murdered in a palace coup,
and again, Geiseric saw an
opportunity. The Vandals took
to their ships and sailed for Italy
and marched on Rome.
Maximus fled in terror, but was
caught by an angry Roman
mob and stoned to death for his
cowardice.
The sack of Rome in AD 455
marked the terminal decline of
the Roman Empire in the West.
It was not as violent as legend
has it. The Vandals plundered,
but left a great deal of the city’s
buildings intact.
planned marriage to his son.
By the time Geiseric died in AD
He could also see how the
477, and after nearly fifty years
mounting threat to the Empire
on the throne, he had taken a
posed by the Huns could work
small, largely insignificant
to his advantage. He started
Germanic tribe and made it a
sending gifts of money to
major Mediterranean power.
About the Actor
Richard Brake
The Bastard Executioner (FX), Game of Thrones
(HBO), Spy (Theatrical), Kingsman: The Secret
Service (Theatrical)