Thread by @Arby_K

A vast horde marches across a continent to invade Africa.

Cities of ancient lore fall, as the new masters of Africa wreak havoc on its former rulers.

An Empire finally reaches its end.

Story in the evening ...

Gaiseric was born around 389 to Godegisl, a King of the Vandals. In 406, the Vandals, the Alans & the Suevi crossed the Rhine into the Roman Empire. Rome was busy fighting with the Visigoths, but the Franks met them in Gaul and Godegisl got killed in the ensuing battle. 1/10

Gaiseric's brother, Gunderic, succeeded as King. The Vandals and their allies ravaged Roman Gaul, but moved south to the Iberian peninsula. They also had to fight the Visigoths who also made their way to the Iberian peninsula. 2/10

In 428, Gunderic died and Gaiseric became King. Seeking a stable land to rule, Gaiseric took the host of Vandals and Alans he ruled further south, to Africa. Bonifacius, the governor of the Roman province of Africa, may have invited them as allies against Rome. 3/10

But Bonifacius made peace with Rome soon. Gaiseric, however, went against the Roman governor. Bonifacius was defeated and before along, Rome sued for peace. In 435, Gaiseric founded his new Kingdom with the parts of Roman Mauretania and Numidia that he conquered. 4/10

But he wasn't done yet. Although the Vandals became Roman foederati after 435, Gaiseric led them against Carthage in 439. Soon the ancient rival of Rome fell and became Gaiseric's new capital. By 442, Gaiseric was recognized as the master of Roman Africa. 5/10

From Carthage, they also developed mastery of the the Western Mediterranean, capturing Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily and the Balearic Islands. The Romans were powerless on the sea to stop the Vandal fleet. And they were getting powerless on land as well, against others. 6/10

In 455, the Roman Emperor Valentinian was killed and Petronius Maximus seized the throne, married the dead Emperor's wife and got his son to marry Valentinian's daughter, Eudocia. Eudocia, however, had already been betrothed to Gaiseric's son, Huneric. 7/10

It didn't take long for Gaiseric and the Vandal contingent to reach Rome. The city was plundered and the new Emperor killed. Eudocia and Huneric eventually got married, while Gaiseric returned to Africa with the loot. 8/10

Rome recovered briefly under Julius Valerius Majorianus, but when he went into fight against the Vandals, it was Gaiseric who prevailed on the sea near Cartagena in 461. Majorianus would soon be deposed and the Roman Empire in the West would soon collapse. 9/10

The Roman Empire in the East also attempted to check Gaiseric, only to meet with defeat in 468. On his death in 477, Gaiseric was succeeded by his son, Huneric. The Vandal Kingdom of Africa lasted till 534, when Constantinople finally annexed it. 10/10