THE BYZANTINE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE VANDALS
			The Emperor Justinian had come to the throne on 1 August 527AD and immediately had to contend with an outbreak of hostilities with their eastern neighbour Persia, caused by political differences between the ruling dynasties.  At first the Romans - or Byzantine - forces had difficulties in dealing with their old enemies but once Belisarius was appointed to command the Imperial forces in 529 their fortunes revived and they won a major victory over an invading Persian force at Daras.  Unfortunately Belisarius was defeated a year later near Callinicium and was promptly recalled to Constantinople.
			Fortunately later that year the Sassanid king Kavad died and his son Khusrau - or Chosroes to the Greeks - agreed to a peace treaty as his grip on the throne wasn't secure.  With their eastern frontier secured thoughts turned to other parts of former Roman territory that Justinian still believed were Imperial lands.  However before any plans could be finalised a major riot broke out (later to be called the Nika riots after the Greek word for 'victory') when the two sporting factions, the Blues and Greens, joined forces on the Ides of January 532 and demanded the resignation of key political figures.  A few days later, on the 18th, the crowds in the Hippodrome shouted down Justinian and it was then that he considered fleeing to Asia.  His wife, the empress Theodora, argued against it and eventually the rulers decided to crush the riots using military force.  Narses, another important figure in Justinian's government, distributed bribes to split the anti-government movement.  After this was done Belisarius, Mundus and Narses all led soldiers into the packed Hippodrome and began slaughtering left and right.  With the ringleaders arrested and 30,000 dead, the riots collapsed.
		The Vandal kingdom in North Africa had been imposed on former Roman territory, and the Vandals were Arian Christians as opposed to the Catholic that the Imperial lands professed.  Previous attempts to bring the Vandals into the Roman fold had failed but when the heir to the throne Hilderic visited Justinian he promised to reopen the Catholic churches, which he did upon coming to power.  However following military setbacks in 530 he was deposed by a rival faction that brought Gelimer to power.  Hilderic appealed to Justinian from his prison, and this was the pretext the Emperor was waiting for.
		Belisarius was appointed commander and in the summer of 533 the expedition set sail from Constantinople, comprised of 10,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry and a number of 'barbarian' troops.  This was the expedition Casca was attached to whilst under the mercenary Sicarus.  When the biscuits on board turned bad, they put into Zakinthos before crossing the Adriatic to Sicily (not calling in at Cyrene as described in the Sentinel, unfortunately).
	With the main Vandal army engaged in a rebellion on Sardinia that had been fomented by Justinian, Belisarius crossed the Mediterranean and landed at Caput Vada in North Africa (now the modern Ras Kaboudia in Tunisia).  They then marched on Carthage.  On hearing the news Gelimer had Hilderic executed and his body tossed over the city walls.  At Decimium the Vandals were routed, the largest detachment under the personal command of Gelimer, this on September 14th , and the following day Belisarius entered Carthage.
	Gelimer regrouped to the west, recalling his Sardinian forces, and met the Imperial army at Tricamarum in mid-December, and once again was defeated.  This time he fled into the wilderness where he remained for a few weeks before surrendering and he was taken, with most of his men, to Constantinople in chains.  The women were left to the victorius Imperial troops and many married Vandal women.
	Source - Justinian by John Moorhead, Longman books.
					Return to The Sentinel | Booklist page