Vandalic War and Reconquest of Africa

From the quays of Constantinople, sails bellied in the wind. Belisarius, Justinian’s favored general, led a fleet west in 533, aiming at Carthage and the Vandal kingdom that had sat on Africa’s grain routes for nearly a century. The gamble depended on money, logistics, and timing. A storm could smash transports; a blown cover could expose the armada. But coin and secrecy held. The invasion force crossed to Africa and moved fast [1][10].

Procopius, attached to Belisarius, tells the story with soldierly detail. The army landed, fought at Ad Decimum near Carthage, then at Tricamarum, unseating King Gelimer and unsecuring Vandal rule. The blue sea slapped against piers as imperial banners entered Carthage. Shops reopened under new signs; the imperial fisc reasserted claim on estates that had slipped away during the fifth century [1].

The reconquest was as administrative as it was military. Paymasters set up shop; assessors recalculated taxes; priests aligned liturgies to Constantinople. The clang of the mint returned as dies struck in African cities, and grain moved along old lanes to feed garrisons and the capital. A province that had once financed Roman armies would do so again, if the state could keep order [10][14].

Belisarius maintained discipline, forbidding looting to prevent alienating the populace. Letters sped back to the Great Palace, reporting victories and requesting instructions about captured elites. The machine that had issued the Digest now issued land grants and amnesty terms. Military momentum folded into institutional embrace.

The war ended quickly by Roman standards—months, not years. But holding Africa would require steady pay and quiet politics, challenges the empire answered with coin and law. For the moment, sails turned east with prisoners and treasure. The solidus glittered in triumphal piles; the bronze follis ticked out wages along the docks [1][15].