Vandals

( Vandal i i , or Vindalii ). A confederacy of German nations, probably of the great Suevic race, to which the Burg und i ones, Gothones, Gepidæ, and Rugii belonged. They dwelt originally on the northern coast of Germany, but were afterward settled north of the Marcomanni, in the Riesengebirge, which are hence called Vandalic i Montes. They subsequently appear for a short time in Dacia and Pannonia; but at the beginning of the 5th century (409) they traversed Germany and Gaul, and invaded Spain. In this country they subjugated the Alani, and founded a powerful kingdom, the name of which is still preserved in And alus i a (Vandal us i a). In 429 they cro ed over into Africa, under their king Genseric, and conquered all the Roman dominions in that country. Genseric subsequently invaded Italy, and took and plundered Rome in 455. The Vandals continued masters of Africa till 535, when their kingdom was destroyed by Belisarius, and annexed to the Byzantine empire.