General Notes

On the death of Hunnerich (484) he was succeeded by his cousin Gunthamund, Gaiseric having established seniority among his own descendants as the law of succession to his throne. Gunthamund (484-96) and his brother Thrasamund (496-523)...maintained the external credit of the monarchy. On the death of Thrasamund, Hilderic (523-31), the son of Hunneric and Eudocia, at length succeeded to the throne. He adhered to the creed of his mother rather than to that of his father; and, in spite of a solemn oath sworn to his predecessor that he would not restore the Catholic churches to their owners, he at once proceeded to do so and to recall the bishops. Hilderic, elderly, Catholic and timid, was very unpopular with his subjects, and after a reign of eight years he was thrust into prison by his cousin Gelimer (531-534). The wrongs to Hilderic, a Catholic, with the blood of the emperor Theodosius in his veins, afforded to Justinian a long-coveted pretext for overthrowing the Vandal dominion. A great expedition under the command of Belisarius reached Africa in the beginning of Sept. 533 ... He marched rapidly towards Carthage and on Sept. 13 defeated Gelimer at Ad Decimum. Belisarius, however, was too late to save the life of Hilderic, who had been slain by his rival's orders as soon as the news came of the landing of the imperial army. [Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1961 ed., Vol. 22, p. 973, VANDALS.]