Battle of Agrigentum
Part of theRoman-Germanic wars
Date 456 Location Agrigentum, modern dayAgrigento,Sicily Result Roman victory
Belligerents
Western Roman Empire	Vandal Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Ricimer	Unknown
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

TheBattle of Agrigentum was fought in 456 A.D. at Agrigentum, nowAgrigento in modern-daySicily. An army of theWestern Roman Empire, led by the generalRicimer, drove off an invading force, a fleet of sixty ships, sent by theVandal kingGaiseric to raid Sicily.^[1] Ricimer then led the Roman fleet against the Vandals and defeated them in anaval battle off the coast ofCorsica. The victory gave the Romans only temporary relief from Vandal raids.

The Vandals led by their king Gaiseric (sometimes spelled Genseric) had earlier conquered North Africa after passing through Spain, frequently raided prosperous cities or areas of the European coast and sacked Rome in 455 AD. In spring or early summer of 456 AD, Ricimer led an army and navy of Romans, auxiliaries, and Germanicfoederati to Sicily with the intention of repelling a known or suspected forthcoming Vandal attack.

The Vandals initially forced the Romans onto the defensive in a partly forested battlefield. They were unable to break Ricimer's troops and after a hard-fought battle, the Romans drove off the Vandal force. The Vandals who survived the battle boarded their ships which sailed north toward Corsica. Ricimer followed the Vandals and defeated them in anaval battle off the coast of Corsica.

Ricimer returned home to Italy where he and the generalsMajorian andAegidius, seized power from the Western Roman emperor,Avitus. They proclaimed Majorian, who was a full-blooded Roman, emperor.

• Battles involving the Roman Empire
• Military history of Sicily
• 450s conflicts
• Ancient Sicily
• Battles involving the Vandals
• Vandal Kingdom