The Vandals were a Germanic tribe who are first mentioned in Roman history in the Natural History of Pliny the Elder (77 CE). The Roman historian Tacitus also mentions them in his Germania (c. 98 CE), though he also refers to them as the "Lugi". Their name may mean "the wanderers" and was given by both Pliny and Tacitus as "Vandilii". The name "vandal" has now become synonymous with careless destruction owing to the accounts by Roman writers describing their violent behavior generally and their sack of Rome in 455 CE specifically.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 130 BCEVandals migrate from Scandinavia to Silesia.
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77 CEVandals mention by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History.
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98 CEVandals mentioned by Tacitus in his Germania.
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c. 166 CEVandals associated with Rome.
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270 CEHostilities between Vandals and Rome.
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271 CEVandals defeated by Aurelian.
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277 CE - 278 CEVandals defeated by Probus.
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330 CEVandals situated in Pannonia by Constantine.
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406 CE - 407 CEVandals invade Gaul.
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406 CEVandals, Suevi, and Alans invade Gaul.
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420 CEVandals seize important ports of Hispania, battle Romans and Visigoths.
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428 CEGaiseric becomes King of the Vandals.
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429 CEVandals overrun Caesarea.
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429 CEGaiseric leads the Vandal invasion of Roman North Africa.
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429 CEVandals cross Spain to the Maghreb.
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439 CEVandals take Carthage from the Western Roman Empire and make it their new capital.
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442 CETreaty between Gaiseric and Valentinian III of Rome recognizing Vandal Kingdom of North Africa.
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455 CEValentinian III assassinated; Gaiseric sacks Rome.
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455 CEVandals sack Rome.
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468 CEEastern and Western halves of Roman Empire unite against Vandals and are defeated.
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478 CEDeath of Gaiseric.
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478 CE - 484 CEReign of Huneric as King of the Vandals.
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484 CE - 496 CEReign of Gunthamund.
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496 CE - 523 CEReign of Thrasamund.
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523 CE - 530 CEReign of Hilderic.
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530 CE - 534 CEReign of Gelimer.
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533 CE - 534 CEThe Vandal War launched by Emperor Justinian I, aimed a reconquering Africa from the Vandals.
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533 CEInvasion of North Africa by Roman Empire led by Belisarius.
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533 CEVandals under Gelimer defeated at Battle of Ad Decium and Battle of Tricameron by Romans under Belisarius.
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533 CEBelisarius defeats the Persians to the east of the Byzantine Empire and the Vandals of Africa.
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534 CEGelimer, the last Vandal king, captured and brought to Constantinople; Vandals cease to exist as a political/cultural entity.
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534 CEJustinian of the Byzantine Empire conquers the Vandal kingdom in Africa.
