Gaiseric (died 477) was theking of theVandals and theAlani (428–477) who conquered a large part of Roman Africa and in 455 sackedRome.

Gaiseric succeeded his brother Gunderic at a time when the Vandals were settled in Baetica (modernAndalusia, Spain). In May 428 Gaiseric transported all his people, purported by him to number 80,000, to Africa. Evidently he was invited to Africa by the governor, Count Bonifacius, who wished to use the military strength of the Vandals in his struggle against theimperial government.

Gaiseric caused great devastation as he moved eastward from theStrait of Gibraltar across Africa. He turned on Bonifacius, defeated his army in 430, and then crushed the joint forces of the Eastern and Western empires that had been sent against him. In 435 Gaiseric concluded a treaty with the Romans under which the Vandals retainedMauretania and part ofNumidia and becamefoederati (allies under special treaty) of Rome.

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In a surprise move on Oct. 19, 439, Gaiseric captured Carthage, thus throwing off Roman overlordship and striking a devastating blow at imperial power. In a 442 treaty with Rome the Vandals were recognized as the masters of proconsular Africa, Byzacena, and part of Numidia. Gaiseric’sfleet soon came to control much of the western Mediterranean, and he annexed theBalearic Islands,Sardinia,Corsica, andSicily.

His most famous exploit, however, was the capture and plundering of Rome, June 455. Subsequently the King defeated two major efforts of the Romans to overthrow him, that of the emperorMajorian in 460 and that led byBasiliscus in 468. He was succeeded by his son Huneric.