How on earth did the Vandals manage to conquer Africa?

🔴 YOU WANT TO SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL? 🔴
🤗 Join our Patreon community: / maiorianus
Or become an official Maiorianus member on KZbin: / maiorianus461
🤗 One-Time Donation?
PayPal: paypal.me/Maio...
Bitcoin: bc1qv4lsfsplvfecrrgvmfclhga28we7mvh9563xdj
🔗 Share the video with anyone who might be interested (it helps a ton!)
👍 Subscribe to our videos FOR FREE: www.youtube.co...
The link to the excellent mod "Age of Justinian AD 555" for the game Rome Total War: Attila can be found here:
steamcommunity...
📚 My favorite novel about the late Roman Empire, "Julian" by Gore Vidal: amzn.to/3mZwOdJ
📚 BEST BOOKS ON ROMAN HISTORY: 📚
1. "History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages" by Ferdinand Gregorovius amzn.to/3yOvjEd
2. "Rome: Profile of a City, 312-1308" by Richard Krautheimer amzn.to/3yyChgp
3. "Rome: An Urban History from Antiquity to the Present" by Rabun Taylor amzn.to/322ClsZ
These are all excellent books if you are like me, absolutely fascinated by the transition of Rome from late antiquity to the early medieval period.
📚 One of our favorite books about the Fall of the Roman Empire, "The Fall of Rome" by Bryan Ward-Perkins: amzn.to/3FXeDNg
The wonderful background music is by Adrian von Ziegler: • Relaxing Roman Music -...
🎦 FILMING EQUIPMENT WE USE: 🎦
Webcam: amzn.to/3yFSFvu
Microphone: amzn.to/3e2ZFsW
Disclosures: Some links in the description are affiliate links which means that if you purchase something by clicking on one of them, your host Sebastian will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. In this way you will be supporting the channel to improve the video production quality at no extra cost to you.
📬 Contact us: [e-mail]
#Maiorianus

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

A special shout-out to all the people who recently donated to us via Super Thanks 🤗: 🧡 @Jose M. Garcia Riquelme 🧡 @Caro Sacramento 🧡 @Christian K 🧡 @delavalmilker 🧡 @Brian Callahan 🧡 @Mylan Olson 🧡 @Niels Nijmegen 🧡 @Richard Horne 🧡 @jceepf 🧡 @Xiang Chen 🧡 @Jason Cuculo 🧡 @julius williams 🧡 @Mauro Merali 🧡 @Rank of Master 🧡 @JeffTownUSA 🧡 @Eisenpfosten 🧡 @Squire Waldo 🧡 @Ruufus De Leon 🧡 @David Keane 🧡 @Kevin Gomez 🧡 @scrot 🧡 @Xina Marie Uhl 🧡 @Aaron Flynn 🧡 @Robert 🧡 @Gary Worthington 🧡 @howtorideahorse 🧡 @Franz Nowak 🧡 @(Ἰάσων) Sobek Lord of the Four Corners 🧡 @michael porzio 🧡 @David Batlle Thank you so much for your generous support and for believing in us 🙏 Your host, Sebastian

[@dominicadrean2160]

I have a question how do you pin in post comments like that are they saved and then they get post when you upload I've been trying to do that myself for my own comments

[@commentfreely5443]

media.gab.com/system/media_attachments/files/118/650/129/original/dc901532058b2adb.jpg joke

[@alinneagu9419]

You were wrong with the location of Hungary, there is Dacia, today's Romania

[@Hello-ig1px]

i hate germs. germs are nasty and all of our parents told us all, from a very young age, to stay away from germs. germs were always bad, back in 200 BC and they are still bad in 2022 AD

[@blakdiamond2111]

your title is bullshit, conquer Africa? do you know what africa is? will you say how on earth did the maure manage to conquer europa??

[@TetsuShima]

Rome's greatness was sealed the moment they conquered Carthage Rome's fall was sealed the moment they lost Carthage

[@arlen_95]

Hannibal’s revenge

[@TEverettReynolds]

I agree 100%. The moment Rome stopped "conquering" and started "cooperating", it was a long downhill slide. Had Julius Caesar done to Germania what he did to Gaul... there wouldn't have been any barbarians left to grow up and multiply and eventually come into the Empire in later centuries. Rome got soft and it was their downfall.

[@r.g.7200]

@@TEverettReynolds I don't think rome killed every Gaulish person, when they conquered modern day France. That's sounds more like an exaggeration and propaganda to make it seem as if the Roman's were that brutal, as the descendents in northern France still are mostly celtic!!!

[@katarinalove8649]

After Hannibal a black man almost conquered them

[@TEverettReynolds]

@@r.g.7200 Julius Caesar didn't kill all the Gauls. But in his own words, he wrote "I killed a million Gauls and enslaved a million more..." Now history knows that was indeed an exaggeration, but what he did do was completely and totally conquer them. Due to his conquests in Gaul, he crashed the Roman slave market (since there were so many of them now at the same time), and he also crashed the roman economy by lowering the value of Gold (causing inflation) since he and his troops came back with so much of it. Celtic culture was mostly erased, true, some of the best parts were integrated into Roman culture, but you either conformed to the ways of Rome or you died. I will also add, that those that Julius didn't kill or enslave, he subjugated, to pay the taxes and get drafted into the next war. After that, the Celts were never a threat. And this is exactly what happened with Carthage. Total annihilation of the people and the culture. When Rome was in its "conquering" phase, it was indeed a brutal regime.

[@hoffmannsama]

There's a really good Late Roman Empire historical single player board game called Stilicho. It gets pretty intense as you have to make tough decisions to hold off the Vandals and Alans in Gaul, while Alaric goes for Rome. Then later there is Constantine III that rebels... It gets tough, I haven't managed to beat it yet. Not everyone is into board games, so no big deal if it isn't your cup of tea, but figured I would mention it.

[@LordWyatt]

Bruh single player board game in Late Antiquity? Shut up and take my money!

[@OtterSam]

That’s cool thanks for sharing that

[@TetsuShima]

"Enjoy your prosperous glory, Romans, as, one day, your doom will finally come... and it shall bear the name of Carthage..." Last words of Hannibal Barca

[@hedelin9358]

He predicted the future.

[@i_likemen5614]

Ottoman*

[@fabrizio.guidi64]

Western civilization Is romanised

[@AmritDillon]

Ottawa conquered nothing. Byzantines were destroyed by 1204 and your Shepard boy Mehmet conquered just a city. If rome had 10% strength it had 1000 years ago Shepard boy and his wouldn't even exist​@@i_likemen5614

[@septimiusseverus343]

The loss of North Africa and the failure to retake it was the nail in the coffin for the Western Empire. Cape Bon was the point of no return.

[@Zakariya3603]

Based Genseric, Boers should take exemple.

[@iamnoone5564]

@@Zakariya3603 So you are one of those type?!

[@abcdedfg8340]

This is a great channel. I somewhat thought rome fell mainly to the barbarians. Turns out the romans were there own worst enemies in times of crisis from what i have learned.

[@joshuacampbell1625]

@@abcdedfg8340"Wait so Rome was its own worst enemy?" Unsheaths dagger: "Always has been"

[@dusk6159]

It's a shame too because Antemio was a great new emperor that had disastrous luck when he and the empire most needed it, in the North Africa naval campaign

[@IWriteDrama]

Your channel, which I discovered about a week or two ago, is absolutely my new favorite late Roman history channel (and the only one I've ever found). You have a commanding voice, speak with confidence, and your videos are amazing to watch. Thank you for sharing your passion with us!

[@ezzovonachalm9815]

Whoa Chri I subscribe Your appreciation of "Majorian"

[@ezzovonachalm9815]

Whoa Chri I subscribe Your appreciation of "Majorian"s history channel

[@daddy_1453]

Romans: "We destroyed Carthage! Carthage can never threaten us again!" Vandals: "We didn't get the memo"

[@michaelporzio7384]

It has been said that In the 5th Century, a Roman army was indistinguishable from a Barbarian army, the Roman Army declined in quality and was forced to rely on Barbarian levies. Meanwhile the Barbarians learned Roman tactics and technology. Building a fleet and successfully sailing it in battle was a significant accomplishment for people that probably never saw an ocean or sea in their homeland. Thanks Maiorianus.

[@faizanrana2998]

Are you stupid? Barbarians came from Scandinavia , they had to cross the sea ...

[@lyricofwise6894]

Lack of manpower/available humans, also, Maiorianus I think has 2 videos (iirc, I saw em) disproving the whole late roman (natively roman, not barbarian) armies had worse armies

[@fedecano7362]

only to be defeated by Belisarius and 5-10k horsemen...quite extraordinare both of the events...first how the hell did they manage to conquer Africa...then how could they lose it all to such a small force...

[@Tzimiskes3506]

Flavius Belisarius tactics is what makes him one of the best generals in history...

[@tylerellis9097]

Because Justinian unlike with all the other Roman invasion forces made sure the vandal Armies and navy were caught up in a revolt he instigated on Sardinia, allowing Belisarius and the Romans to invade uncontested

[@VojislavMoranic]

@@Tzimiskes3506 Well his men were not called "Extraordinarii" just because they had sick ass plumes.

[@iDeathMaximuMII]

Geseric was always afraid of the Roman Invasions. He was frightened by Majorian & paid off traitors to burn the fleet. Got scared to death of the 468 Invasion but only won due THAT idiot. And then Belisarius (with some luck actually) did the entire campaign via Calvary. I think the Vandal's realized how weak they were getting as time went on but still strong enough to maintain themselves. But unlike Spain, Gaul & Italy for the other Barbarian Kingdom's, made the least amount of effort to appease the Africano Romans. Where as the Visigoths, Frank's & Ostrogoths did this somewhat

[@athiocordatus9572]

If I call recall correctly, the Vandals were in a serious succession conflict (not a civil war, though) when Belisarius invaded.

[@athiocordatus9572]

Yay update! Maiorianus, do you plan to make an update explaining the institution of magister militum and the differences between the ERE and WRE when implementing it? The WRE shows a lot less control over its court (Ricimer, Orestes) and regional (Bonifacius, Aetius) magister militae, I think the greater comparative control the ERE displayed is a crucial reason it lasted till the thematic reforms of the 7th century.

[@richardsmith579]

Clear and concise, and correct. Well done.

[@John-pk9rw]

“The local Romans outnumbered them” who’s gonna tell him Romans were only a very small minority in North Africa

[@THINKincessantly]

🤍🇮🇹In regards to human migration--Ive always asked why in the world would people stay in the desert --But looking at the hypothesis that Vandals came down from Scandinavia I have to wonder why in the heck our people would live in the extreme North?? I guess maybe the abundance of fresh water and trees and wildlife is the answer to my question--Any thoughts? Love the Channel! Wishing Long and good health from Texas to my European brothers and sisters❤

[@mugikuyu9403]

The north is better for human existence than the south. In the north the cold kills all the viruses and insects that have ravaged human populations. In Southern Africa the populations were low for most of human history primarily because people died from tropical diseases transmitted by viruses that made their home in the soil or in insects. Once you learn how to build a sturdy house, start a fire, skin animals then you’re all set in the north.

[@Jose-xh5qb]

North Africa and the Levant were not deserts. They were fertile during Roman times. The provinces there served as the Roman Empire's breadbasket. But the climate shifted during the Late Roman Empire, leading to a gradual decline in productivity and desertification.

[@mrblackmamba117]

@@mugikuyu9403 You're partly true. I dont think cold kills viruses. Yes, extreme cold climates may slow down bacterial growth and spread; for viruses, I'm not so sure. Regardless, plagues ravaged both tropical and northern worlds for centuries. It's the curse of Human civilization that we live close to each other and infect people around us unlike hunter gatherers nomadic life. The only factor that's better for human existence is fertile lands, rivers and sea. That's the reason why Romans, Indians, and Chinese civilization kept bouncing back after all the plagues and climate changes.

[@Darkurge666]

As a swede I ask myself this very question six months of the year...😂

[@عليياسر-ذ5ب]

​@@Darkurge666Because the Middle East and North Africa is a very rich land and the basket of bread, wheat and gold for the Romans

[@semregob3363]

Geiseric. what a living legend he was, the first barbarian to make a kingdom under the Romans' nose.

[@windalfalatar333]

The King of Sweden is to this day formally known as the King of Swedes, Goths and Vendel.

[@LewisPulsipher]

Realizing that you must simplify, you've really missed out on some Vandal history here. I don't know if anyone in Spain taught the Vandals to build ships, but it was Roman ships that brought the Vandals (and some Alans) to Africa, to help a Roman general in the civil wars. That provides our only really good estimate of barbarian numbers, as the Romans had to know that they needed enough ships for 80,000 people (all told, so 25K warriors at most I'd guess). IIRC Peter Heather talks about this in one of his books.

[@BonLaPeach]

Thanks for the mod references, will download them

[@mr31337]

Only last night they attacked a bus shelter near me.

[@tamaszlav]

LOL at Hungary being on the map in the times of the Western Romans. A little further East maybe.

[@wilno7579]

A little further East? More like in Mongolia

[@justanotherrandomfilipino9018]

Hey can you make a top 10 list of Germanic tribes that Rome fought, ranked by fame, brutality and level of threat to the empire?

[@soldiermeyer2790]

Would be great

[@compatriot852]

The vandals were yet another case of kicking the can down the road that ended up snow balling until it was too late.

[@BlackMasterRoshi]

interesting combination, the berbers and the vandals. I guess revenge against the empire leads to strange bedfellows.

[@reeyees50]

Excellent video, you are a true VANDAL 🤴

[@jamescobban857]

Vandals: The People who gave Looting and Pillaging a bad name.

[@sdev2749]

great video's of history - love watching them, ty

[@flaviusstilicho1239]

King Geiserich was a very weird combination of villain and straight up Gigachad.

[@Zakariya3603]

You misspelled "Hero".

[@antoniotorcoli702]

Bonifacius had only a token force, mainly consisting of Gohts. The glorious exercitus Africae had been annihilated in 413 in Italy during the usurpation attempt of Heraclianus.

[@AngryHistorian87]

Well, Geiseric was one crafty dude.

[@RickDeckard6531]

👍 Concise and to the point. Very good.

[@hedelin9358]

The vandals vandalized Rome and stole it's grain supply,effectively ending Rome.

[@JuliusCaesar819]

Great video, as always ! ;) @Maiorianus just as an idea, you could do a series reviewing movies depicting the late roman era, such as King Arthur (2004) or Attila the Hun (2001).

[@jody6851]

I wonder how the Vandals managed to conquer Portland, Seattle, and Minneapolis?

[@JD-jl4yy]

This sounds like a damn fever dream, still can't believe this is actual history lmao

[@THINKincessantly]

🤍🇮🇹Can you comment on what your thoughts are on the fate of the Etruscans after the Rise of Rome? Were they just absorbed and forgotten? Did they branch out North East or West after Romes Rise? Ive found 1 good academic lecture on the Etruscans, it was an older gentleman in a dimly lit room with a small audience--havent saw it in awhile though.... where would you guess is the highest concentration of Etruscan descendants today?? Cheers! 🇮🇹

[@alexzero3736]

Werent Etruscans assimilated into Rome? I believe they were very first Italic tribe who received Roman citizenship. And fought against Celts and Gauls...

[@nezperce2767]

Etruscans were the ruling cast in Latio

[@mrtrollnator123]

They were assimilated

[@nezperce2767]

@@mrtrollnator123 seek ref in Latio nobility and its way of life compair to Etruscans religion way of life and culture

[@TetsuShima]

Constantine the Great: "Now that the Empire is finally stable and united again after a century of crisis, and the barbarians are finally in their place, I can assure you that Rome has finally restored her eternal glory" Huns: "I am going to make a PRO gamer move..."

[@kingbrennus1580]

Visigoths next I hope, what an incredible people they were.

[@grahamturner1290]

As edifying as ever. ⚔️

[@colinjames2346]

In central south Sweden there is a town actually called Vendel.

[@grandoldpartisan8170]

I read somewhere that the Vandals paid others to be transported to North Africa and that the entire tribe amounted to merely sixty thousand people.

[@pabloalvez915]

Vandals be gangsta til Belisarius shows up Boss music

[@morgan97475]

Fantastic video. It never occurred to me....al Andalus = Vandalus.

[@wilno7579]

One mistake I notice easily. Vandals were Slavic, not Germanic, they followed Przeworsk culture, but they did have a lot of contacts with Germanic tribes.

[@cjthebeesknees]

Wow, I never noticed that connection.

[@Doo_Doo_Patrol]

the deep dna tells me i am of vandal, frank, saxon, celt, and danish viking. i don't know the truth of it but it might explain my brothers and sisters a bit.

[@robbabcock_]

Great stuff!

[@explorer1968]

Belisarius was the man who washed away the disastreous loss of Carthage and reincorporated it to the Roman Empire once again!

[@P.ilhaformosatherium]

The mongols A so terrifying the dramatics were forced to try and take rome

[@egillskallagrimson5879]

The etymological origin of "Andalucía" it's from the Umayyad conquest that give the region the name of Al-Andalus. about 300 years later. The other region name that could be from a barbaric origin is actually Catalunya which origin remains foggy and some scholars (although I can't remember where I read this) debate that the name could have been given by the Goth and Alans, some ancient reference in Latin point to Goth-Alania, Gothalania as the place of medley between goths and alans giving the origin to the catalan counties. The Franks in times after Charlemagne named the lands the March of Gothia and other theories point that Catalonia came from Gothia-Launia (Land of the Goths). As a Catalan myself I like the Gothalania theory.

[@rng8119]

Andalus may come from Vandalus, after all Andalus is not an arabic word but a Román one, Al-Andalus, land of the vandals

[@mugikuyu9403]

Huh, I never knew that Germanics didn’t know how to make boats until the Romans taught them lol. Did the germanics spread that knowledge to the Scandinavians who would later become Viking’s/Raiders? And where did the Romans themselves learn how to make boats if the knowledge was so well guarded by civilisations?

[@alexzero3736]

It probably were ancient greeks who setlled in Southern Italy.

[@joellaz9836]

Also how did Saxons learn to make boats?

[@carlomariaromano4320]

Of course the Germanics knew how to make boats but they didn't have a navy, fleet or huge ships, etc. Besides, Rome had to build a fleet from scratch, and train sailors and soldiers to fight on the seas. unlike the Greeks or the Carthaginians, they were not traditionally seafaring people. The Romans were mostly land-based people who learned to build military and merchant ships from the people that they conquered. Sailing the seas was often considered un-Roman and even the Roman navy never acquired the status of a fully autonomous branch of the Roman military. For instance, the Carthaginians had a class of warships called the quinquereme. The design was superior to whatever ships the Romans had. By accident the Romans found an intact quinquereme washed up on an allied beach. The Romans quickly reverse-engineered & mass-produced it. This shipbuilding method (frame first, hull, then rest of the ship) is still the method being used today to build modern ships. It's more systematic and allowed the Romans to build ships on an almost industrial scale.

[@mugikuyu9403]

@@nodruj8681 How is it spreading stupidity? They learnt how to build boats from the romans, which makes sense. They didn’t invent boat building independently by themselves. If you can’t even make a point without insulting people it’s not worth saying anything.

[@Darkurge666]

You have to distinguish between boats made for shallow and deep sea. Viking longboats were made primary for shallow waters and mostly sailed along coasts and by rivers. When they sailed over deep waters they lost a lot of ships in storms. They were not that great at seafaring such as the Greeks. Most viking ships were relatively small.

[@Kuudere-Kun]

Geriserich has an interesting namesake in the lore of Berserk.

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

Go Vandals. The Romans used you enough

[@DrHenry1987]

I always wonder if someone would do a video, not on who migrated, but who filled the voids and for example, did any groups just split, some migrating, some staying where they were.

[@Moderate_Pseudo_Historian]

@Maroriamus The Vandals were not a tribe they were a Germanic ethnic group, there were several different Vandal tribes that existed though.

[@renze1559]

How did the vandals replenish their troops while being so far a from germania?

[@selucusptolemy3149]

How much was Flavius Aetius failt for the fall of Africa?

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

I would say indirectly, because he fought against Felix and Bonifacius. This civil war allowed the Vandals to take Africa. If he had not fought against Bonifacius and Felix, then Africa would not have been invaded. So he is partially to blame for the Fall of Africa, in a way.

[@JOGA_Wills]

GEISERIC!!!

[@OldBlueEmotion]

booooo!

[@JOGA_Wills]

@@OldBlueEmotion don't make me go Cape Bon on you!

[@OldBlueEmotion]

@@JOGA_Wills Vandals had no honor, and never fought an honorable fight. Come to the light side young one!

[@waynemcauliffe2362]

Better fighters who`s time had come

[@garyfrancis6193]

Yes we still have a problem with them in our town.

[@arzhvr9259]

Why didn’t the vandals just cross and take shelter from the Huns instead of pillaging?

[@ariebrons7976]

great video, Frankly, I don't get the Vandals, why didn't they just ask Rome to crush the Huns? Roman doctrine demanded they retaliate, and a combined Romeo-Vandal army would have at least defended against the Huns, even defeat them.

[@MBP1918]

The worst of enemies

[@chris-lk4ml]

The word vandalism is a roman propaganda word. They were NOT such roughless as you told. But they conquered africa - and send letters to the roman imperator, asking him if geiseric could joim the roman forces as leader of the provimce of africa and the roman military leader

[@ThalesGMota]

It’s Is A Sugestive Name!

[@astrobullivant5908]

It was a big mistake for Justinian to reconquer North Africa. Belisarius was awesome, but Justinian should have been looking East. A major reason why the Eastern Roman Empire eventually fell is because it seldom tried to incorporate areas that weren't part of the original Roman Empire. Had Justinian used Belisarius to expand in the Caucuses, his empire would have been far more defensible.

[@TheAPOLLO801]

No, he needed to go further. Moreover, it was his successor that ruined things; at the end of Justinian's rule though devastated, Italy was solidified under Roman Rule.

[@justinprentice3850]

What happened to 2 the future it was awesome you too are the greatest thank you have a great day

[@waltonsmith7210]

Do you think Justinians conquest of North Africa was more legit than the war in Italy?

[@myhandlehasbeenmishandled]

I wonder if their language changed during their time in Africa. Did North African and Semitic languages influenced their language?

[@marcoparente7352]

A lot of not replied questions. Example: why there was no fleet guarding Hispania costs? or how is it possible that Vandals were able to conquer Carthago roman fleet?

[@zentecno4120]

Lack of funds could be a close answer.

[@marcoparente7352]

@@zentecno4120 same fleet has been used later to sack Rome, and even organizing the escape of the fleet when the Vandals were arriving was not a matter of founding. I guess corruption and treason are better explanations.

[@zentecno4120]

@@marcoparente7352 yes true

[@UnknownPerson-pp6yv]

But do people that live in Tripoli now have Vandal blood in there vains? More curious where they ended up today.

[@Tsukonin]

There is no significant trace of Vandal or any Northern European ancestry in modern Maghreb populations. That means the Vandals were a very small population compared to local Berbers and romanized Berbers, so they would have been absorbed without leaving much trace after a few centuries. Some uniparental markers might be found though, but that's it. Another reason might be that they were partially deported or migrated after their defeat.

[@sosoew3115]

I think their presence in africa was exagerated. They probably were a warrior elite minority. The reason why you don't find any trace of them today.

[@thadtuiol1717]

So proud of my Vandalic ancestors - they kicked ass!

[@charlesdavis9937]

I have a Vandal king as an ancestor. His name, if I can spell it, was Geiserich.

[@sosoew3115]

Roman presence in north africa at that time was limited to coastal cities. There were no millions of romans, as mentioned in the video. It is not extraoridanry if the vandals besieged and took the cities one by one, while being allied to local tribes, who were equaly intrested in the riches of the coastal cities.

[@hakanliljeberg790]

Vandals are originating from part of western Scandinavia. They were from West Sweden and SE Norway. It has something to do with Väner lake region Väner(n) lake's earliest name is *Vendiz "the turner". Then Vandals earliest name becomes logical, VendilaR, "smaller tribe from Väner realm". Some typical looks, that you also find in N Portugal and Brazil is like Lena Ranehag, Nathalie Hagman, Rebecka Blomqvist, Fridolina Rolfö, Johanna (Gudrun) icelandic singer etc..They certainly all have roots in the Väner lake kingdom *Vendiz...

[@xk1390]

Why does the map show Hungary on Romania's territory?

[@ge0metr1xx]

I love your video but there is high pitch ringing that doesn't stop. i thought my tinnitus came back and had anxiety attack. I had to sop watching just a few minutes in.

[@peterdoherty6495]

😎😎😎😎

[@lerneanlion]

Where and how did Rome generate revenue from Carthage anyway? Aren't cities such as Carthage and Tunis mainly surrounded by desert with almost no hinterlands? Did the Romans rely heavily on trade taxes on the caravans like the medieval Islamic realms?

[@tylerellis9097]

Look at a map of modern Dat Tunis. The Northern quarter of the country and the capital( Also Tunis, built next to Destroyed Carthage) is covered in Green not Desert. And this is during the warm period before the desertification that hit North Africa during the Middle Ages, which was both due to climate change and migratory nomadic Berber/Arab pastoralists. And as the comment above me excellently explained, Egypt is more desert than Tunis but it’s rivers make the land around them extremely fertile while 95% of the rest of the country is desert.

[@iDeathMaximuMII]

Carthage (North Africa) during Antiquity & the early middle ages wasn't all desert. It had fertile lands that made it extremely valuable

[@doppelwaffen]

Due to its crop yields and its economy, Africa was by far the richest province in the west AND it hat been safe from invasions for centuries.

[@701delbronx8]

Because they vandalized them

[@ThalesGMota]

I Like To The Video.

[@Novusod]

This has happened throughout history. A primitive nomadic people would conquer a more advanced agrarian civilization. The main reason for this the nomadic people would eat primarily meat and thus be stronger, healthier, and larger than their agrarian grain fed opponents. The nomadic vandals were like giants compared to the Roman soldiers. Fighting them was like adults beating up children. It didn't matter that the Romans were better equipped, trained, and supplied. The Vandals were just so much physically stronger than Romans they didn't stand a chance. The Huns and Visigoths also had the same advantages over the Romans. After the Vandals conquered conquered North Africa and settled down they stopped eating as much meat. This stunted their growth and they become much easier for the Eastern Romans to defeat in the time of Justinian and Belisarius.

[@SDArgo_FoC]

Rather bold claim, but brute force still cannot beat training and proper equipment.

[@jmac6055]

So it all comes down to diet? I’m going to do more research on this topic. I always thought that the Roman Empire fell because of corrupt politics, economic turbulence, mass disease, slacking border control, lack of military funding, mass migration (huns), wars on multiple borders etc. The adults beating up children part was so outrageous and ridiculous it gave me a hefty chuckle. Thank you for that!

[@hazzmati]

You're full of it

[@tylerellis9097]

This comment destroyed the last of my brain cells

[@Novusod]

@@SDArgo_FoC History repeated itself with the Mongols conquering China. Their empire also did not last very long because as soon as they settled down and ceased to eat meat they lost most of their advantages.

[@animationfanatic2133]

Germanic tribes: I know let's cross the water and go to Africa like a bunch of absolute maniacs

[@Moribus_Artibus]

Isn't it weird how Geiseric was a Christian? Like this guy was praying to Jesus before launching an army to invade Rome

[@wilno7579]

Vandals were Slavic, of course they can. How are they Germanic if they are przeworsk culture, a Slavic culture.

[@itsme3983]

My maternal cousin took a DNA test and found 5% of germanic blood ..only explanation is the Vandals and yes he is tanned skin with contrasting aubrun silky hair

[@silverchairsg]

With graffiti.

[@tuki8468]

😏

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Thanks again Amicus, for your help :)

[@mysterious8152]

Vandals were ancient Vikings 😆

[@jasonladd6400]

Africa to the Romans was just the northern tip above the Sahara previously controlled by the Greeks and Phoenicians that included modern-day Libya, Tunisia and Algeria coast lines. It didn't encompass the interior or Egypt.

[@kylonjones5678]

They couldn’t conquer all of Africa. Africans repelled many foreign invaders.

[@dfaltin]

This migration from Scandinavia is complete fantasy.

[@thehturt5480]

Why do You say that?

[@dfaltin]

@@thehturt5480 Because Roland Steinacher, who is one of the most eminent experts on the Vandals says so in one of his books. There is no historical or archaeological evidence to link Vandals, who lived on the continent in the 1st century AD with any group or culture in Scandinavia. In earlier scholarship (1930s) some scholars argued that the place name Vendsyssel in northern Jutland pointed to the original home of the Vandals. But that theory is no longer accepted.

[@thehturt5480]

@@dfaltin Thanks for your explanations. Probably we will never know for certain where their original land was.

[@EnglishShieldwall]

@@dfaltin DNA evidence has confirmed that ALL ancient Germanic people were ultimately of Nordic (Northern German/Scandinavian) origin. where else could they possibly have come from?

[@mugikuyu9403]

@@EnglishShieldwall Space wizards bro.

[@CharlesOffdensen]

There are a lot of red haired Tunisians with blue eyes and some red haired Algerians today. I bet that's because of the Vandals. And yes, I know that Berbers are white, but they are not red haired, and don't have blue eyes.

[@Huera-dv2nj]

Some are though, check the guanche and a description of how they looked . It has a lot to do with the weather and where these tribes live , but in my opinion local berber tribes are capable of expressing their own red hair/ colored eyed genes .

[@zuhairgadhgadhi9948]

Yes, they coexisted together and they have the same religious doctrine, I think. .

[@oussamamarroqino2579]

Berbers from the Atlas mountains of Morocco have blue eyes and red hair and they have never been conquered but neither the vandals nor the romans

[@aleksandarnikolic2743]

VANDALS WERE SLAVS??? IS THAT POSIBLE??? OR MIX SLAVS AND GERMANS???

[@wilno7579]

Yes, it is very much possible considering they followed a Slavic culture in Slavic lands. They probably mixed with Germanic tribes considering they had a lot of contact.

[@TEverettReynolds]

How? It is not that hard: Rome got weak (after their conquering phase was over and they went into a defensive phase) and the Barbarians just got stronger and smarter (after centuries of trading and training with the Romans). By the time the Vandals came over the Rhine and headed to Hispania and Africa, the feeble-minded Emporer Honorius was incapable of stopping them. Look at all the laws Honorius enacted during this period, they are all focused on Religion and Heresies. Instead of making laws to help stop the Barbarians, Honorious was more interested in what God you prayed to (and how you prayed to that God) when those barbarians were raping you and pillaging your town.

[@ezzovonachalm9815]

So the Vandals are to be considered the first Vikings moving from Scandinavia to Africa.

[@Subiemal]

Vandalism is derived from the vandals.

[@dominicadrean2160]

you know after the Visigoths Concord North Africa rating and pillaging some of the Cities one of people living there was Saint Augustine out of the entire population of the city he was in they left him alone they raided in pillaged everything women taking a slaves and all the riches of the city but his home in church was left alone because the actually respected him perhaps the safest place to be when they took over North Africa was with Augustine isn't that funny

[@Moribus_Artibus]

Because they were weak and pathetic! Why didn't use Numidian calvary and elephants to fight the Vandals? That would have been epic!

[@zolanidingaan2511]

stop being anti german.,

[@sectorcheese2650]

Stop deny your faults

[@عليياسر-ف4ن9ك]

​@@sectorcheese2650If someone took your child and killed your wife, what would you do?

[@TomSeliman99]

why did you put a picture of black Berbers? Berbers are not black

[@zuhairgadhgadhi9948]

Dark-skinned Berbers in the south, but in the north we are white.

[@mclyte20]

The Vandals didn't conquer the entire continent of Africa. They conquered only a small portion of coastal North Africa. Get your video title heading terminology right.