Vandals

 THE VANDALS

The origin of the Vandals is unclear. They may have migrated south out of Scandinavia and there is evidence of their presence in Poland.

The name Vandal is thought to have originated with Roman writers, who also called them the Lugi. It is not clear how unified the Vandals were as a people, but it is known that the Hasdingi Vandals moved into the Roman Empire as foederati in the late second century AD. Their cousins, the Silingi, settled in what is now Silesia.

Relations between Rome and its barbarian foederati were often troubled and the Vandals were no exception. At times, they gave good service; on other occasions, they were the enemy. The Vandals embraced Arian Christianity, which put them at odds with the Nicaean Romans. This may have been a factor in the decision not to permit the Vandals to move into the empire as pressure from the Huns increased. Instead, the Vandals took advantage of reduced Roman strength along the Rhine and in AD 406 forced their way into the empire.

The Vandals faced fierce competition from other Germanic tribes seeking a safe homeland and did not settle in Gaul. Instead, they pushed through into Iberia where they set up a kingdom under Gunderic, who also ruled the Alans. The Vandals built a navy to operate on the Mediterranean, which ultimately gave them the ability to move into North Africa. In the meantime, they fought against other tribes for control of Iberia, notably the Visigoths.

Source ~ “ The Dark Ages” Martin J. Dougherty