Vandals: Map & History
Vandals is mapped in the atlas for 337 CE – 438 CE, with a peak mapped extent of about 420,482 km².
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The Vandals were a group of Germanic peoples who were first mentioned in passing by a small number of Roman writers in the first and second centuries, but became more prominent starting in the late second century during the tumultuous Marcomannic Wars of the Romans against many of the Germanic peoples north of the Danube, when Hasdingi-led Vandals took the side of the Romans, in exchange for territory in or near Dacia. It was also under Hasdingi leadership that large numbers of Vandals later migrated and formed a powerful Vandal Kingdom that ruled Roman North Africa for several generations until it was conquered by the Eastern Roman Empire in 534.
Modern Countries Once Part of Vandals
At its mapped extent, Vandals covered territory in 7 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Portugal410–413 CE · most
- Spain410–438 CE · a large part
- Luxembourg407–409 CE · a large part
- Belgium407–409 CE · a large part
- Slovakia337–409 CE · a small part
- Germany407–409 CE · a small part
- France407–409 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Vandals's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Vandals in Depth
Classical history
The earliest surviving written mention of the Vandals is by Pliny the Elder writing in about 70 AD, who used the term Vandili in a broad way to define one of the five major groupings of all Germanic peoples (Latin: Germani). Tribes within this category whom he mentions are the Burgundiones, Varini, Carini (otherwise unknown), and the Gutones.
Writing in about 100 AD, Tacitus mentioned the Vandilii, but only in a passage explaining legends about the origins of the Germanic peoples. He names them as one of the groups sometimes thought to be one of the oldest divisions of these peoples, along with the Marsi, Gambrivii, and Suebi, but does not say where they live, or which peoples are within this category.
Legacy
Since the Middle Ages, kings of Denmark were styled "King of Denmark, the Goths and the Wends", the Wends being a group of West Slavs formerly living in Mecklenburg and eastern Holstein in modern Germany. The title "King of the Wends" is translated as vandalorum rex in Latin. The title was shortened to "King of Denmark" in 1972. Starting in 1540, Swedish kings (following Denmark) were styled Suecorum, Gothorum et Vandalorum Rex ("King of the Swedes, Geats, and Wends"). Carl XVI Gustaf dropped the title in 1973 and now styles himself simply as "King of Sweden".
The modern term vandalism stems from the Vandals' reputation as the barbarian people who sacked and looted Rome in AD 455.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Vandals (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Vandals: Key Facts
| Capital | Carthage |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 6th century |
Facts from Wikidata Q42211 (CC0).
Vandals Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Vandals appears, with the other states of the time.
Vandals Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 420,482 km² in 412 CE.
Vandals: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Vandals exist?
Vandals is dated to 337 CE – 438 CE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of Vandals?
The capital of Vandals was Carthage.
How large was Vandals at its peak?
At its peak in 412 AD Vandals covered about 420,482 km².