In today's world, the act of deliberately and knowingly causing harm to property belonging to an individual or state, known as vandalism, is named after the tribe Vandals. In this article, we share the intriguing history of the marauding tribe known as the Vandals.
Actually, it all began with the Turks. In 216 AD, near the year of Middle Asia, the Northern Hun Empire fell. The Huns, also known as the Turks, broke away from Central Asia and started moving towards the east of Europe in 374 AD. Under the command of Balamir, the Hun Turks caused the Visigothic states to collapse, leading the Germanic tribes to move westward.
Afterwards, due to the fear of the Huns, the Vandals advanced and settled in Northern Scandinavia. Later, in 406 AD, they moved south towards France, defeating the Franks. The Vandals settled in Gaul. After Gaul, it is estimated that in 429 AD, the Vandals reached Spain and from there crossed into North Africa. In the mountains and cities of Western Europe, they gathered unruly individuals, turning into a sort of barbarian army. The Vandals, also known as the Alans, were united and established the Kingdom of the Vandals in 435 AD under the rule of King Gaiseric (Genseric).
At that time, North Africa was under the control of the Roman Empire. The Vandals captured Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, progressing eastward. The Roman Empire could no longer stop the Vandals. In 435 AD, Rome granted extensive territories to the Vandal tribe to settle. However, the Vandals sought plunder. In 439 AD, they began moving eastward again, and Carthage, the most important city in North Africa, was conquered by the Vandals.
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Carthage, which was one of the most important cities feeding the Roman Empire through grain and trade routes, had fallen into the hands of the marauding Vandals. The Vandals did not stop their advance and seized important islands in the Mediterranean such as Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia.
In 442 AD, the Romans realized that they couldn't get rid of the Vandals and signed a Peace Treaty with them, aiming for the continuation of the grain trade in the Mediterranean. However, this Peace Treaty did not stop the raids of the Vandals in the Mediterranean. Genseric was constantly plundering the coasts of both Western and Eastern Rome.
In 453 AD, when Hun Emperor Attila died, Rome turned its attention entirely to the Vandals, who were causing considerable discomfort. The Roman Empire first wanted to proceed through diplomacy, and Emperor Valentinian III married his daughter to the son of Vandal King Genseric. However, internal strife and intrigue were rampant in Rome. Genseric was always looking for the opportunity to conquer Rome, and he found it. In Rome, Petronius Maximus killed Emperor Valentinian III to seize power, and in 455 AD, Empress Licinia sent a letter to Genseric's son-in-law, pleading for her life. Seizing the opportunity, the Vandals came to Rome and, even for years to come, carried out a major plunder that would never be forgotten. They plundered valuable things in Rome and returned to Carthage.
In some historical sources, it is mentioned that Vandals, during that time, actually did not burn and destroy Rome. It is stated that they met with Pope Leo I and agreed not to harm Rome's buildings, but only took valuable items before returning to Carthage. The French Revolution, as mentioned below, will make Vandals' reputation so dreadful.
Eliminating the Vandals was now a priority for the Roman Empire, and Rome was under siege. Although the Roman Empire sent two military expeditions by sea to defeat the Vandals and clear North Africa of them, they failed in 458 and 460.
Later, in history, many sources state that in 468 AD (it is said that 100,000 people participated), the Roman army launched a campaign against the Vandals. However, this was generally unsuccessful. By the year 470 AD, the Romans had given up, abandoned policies involving war against the Vandals, and ceased fighting them. In 476 AD, King Genseric of the Vandals made a peace agreement with Constantinople, and from 477 AD onwards, the Vandals began minting their own coins.
The founder and most important king of the Vandals, Genseric, passed away on January 25, 477 AD at the age of 88. According to the law he established, the oldest member in the royal family would ascend the throne. After him, his son Huneric took the throne.
While initially Huneric had good relations with Byzantium, i.e. Eastern Rome, later after 482 AD, he began to oppress the Nicene Christians.
The relationship between Huneric and the subsequent Vandal Kings with Byzantium continued with disputes. Finally, in 523 AD, Hilderic came to power. He was the most tolerant Vandal king towards Christians. However, he had little interest in wars. He left matters of war to Hoamer, a member of the royal family. However, Hoamer was defeated by the Berbers, and his cousin Gelimer took the throne. Hilderic and Hoamer, along with all their relatives, were imprisoned by Gelimer. In 533 AD, Hilderic was dethroned and killed. Emperor Justinian of Byzantium wanted to reinstate Hilderic on the Vandal throne. Therefore, he sent an army under the command of Belisarius against the Vandals. On December 15, 533, Belisarius' army faced Gelimer in the Battle of Tricamarum near Carthage, and despite Gelimer having fewer troops, Belisarius' army defeated him, thus erasing the Vandal kingdom from history.
Which Modern State Are Vandals Ancestors Of?
The Vandals ruled for about a century. Due to their mingling with tribes mainly consisting of Germanic peoples in Spain, France, and North Africa, there is little information remaining about their arts, languages, and nationalities. The Vandals, as a state, did not have a tendency to establish any settled state order. The last Vandal people, whom the Byzantine Empire destroyed, mixed with the Berbers and disappeared from history.
As can be seen later in history with the Mongols, the Vandals burned and destroyed whatever came before them, causing significant harm to the environment and the way of life in the regions they plundered. While plundering these lands, they raped women and kidnapped daughters to turn them into sex slaves. During their reign, their ruthless raiding activities instilled great fear in the surrounding rights.
What Does Vandalism Mean and How Did It Originate?
The term vandalism refers to the act of intentionally damaging or destroying property belonging to an individual or a state. Research has shown that men tend to have a higher inclination towards vandalism. Additionally, the person who carries out this act individually is referred to as a Vandal.
In fact, the term vandalism first emerged during the French Revolution. A clergyman named Henry Grégoire described the behavior of the French Republic army at the time as vandalism, likening the actions of the Republican army to the Vandals who had ravaged Rome in.
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