TRICAMERON - v1.0
mid-December 533
by Chris Jackson
Symbol set required: Master 1


HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The elderly Hilderic, King of the Vandals, was disliked by his subjects 
for his Catholic sympathies and pacifist nature. In June 531, Gelimer 
(b. 495?), great-grandson of Gaiseric, deposed his cousin from the Vandal
throne, with full consent of the Vandal nobility. Byzantine Emperor
Justinian had enjoyed friendly relations with Hilderic and insisted that
he be restored or at least be allowed to keep his title. When Gelimer told
him to mind his own business, Justinian had his pretext to declare war.

Plans were delayed by the Nika revolt, a riot between two political factions,
in 532. Justinian angered a number of subjects by instituting harsh taxes to
pay for his war with Persia. An angry mob burned much of Constantinople, and
it took a massacre in the hippodrome by generals Belisarius and Mundus to end
the revolt. The invasion of the Vandal Kingdom was abandoned for a while further
due to its sheer size making it unpopular among the civil officers. But Justinian
would have his way and on June 22, 533, the Byzantine invasion fleet set sail. 

The army consisted of 10,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry, composed of regular
soldiers and a preponderance of foederati. The naval fleet comprised 500 ships,
between 45 and 750 tons, 40 sailors to every ship for 20,000 total. There were
also 92 dromones rowed by 2000 men.

The sail was held up for a while by unfavourable winds and food poisoning which
killed 500 soldiers. It took about two months just to reach Sicily where the 
desperately thirsty troops were well-recieved (the Vandals and Ostrogoths were at
odds at the time) and Belisarius, discouraged by these setbacks and his lack of 
knowledge of the enemy's numbers, paused to gather intelligence. It was learned 
that the Vandals had not even known that the Byzantine fleet had even left 
Constantinople, that Gelimer was in Hermione far from Carthage, and that the bulk
of the Vandal army was in Sardinia under his brother Tzazo putting down the revolt
of Godas, a Goth who had been sent there to collect tribute but was now acting
independently. Encouraged by this news, Belisarius sailed to Africa in early
September. 

The fleet arrived at Caputvada (now Ras Kapoodia) on Cap Bon, 130 miles from Carthage. 
The distant location from Carthage was chosen because Belisarius wanted to avoid a 
naval engagement (the Vandals were the only real naval power in the West). Moving about
13 miles a day for 11 days, Belisarius and his men moved steadily northwards. The navy 
accompanied the march up the coast. On September 13 at Ad Decimum, the Vandals attempted
to surround the Byzantines over several miles in a steep pass, but failed to 
co-ordinate their attack times properly, and were easily defeated group by group. 

By nightfall the next day Belisarius reached the gates of Carthage. Belisarius sent word
into the city that peaceful citizens would be spared. On September 15, 533, Belisarius 
marched into the city to end a century of Vandal rule. It was a peaceful day with no 
looting. Byzantine merchants were released from the dungeons. At noon Belisarius entered
the palace and seated himself on the throne where he took a mid-day meal with his officers
in the great banquet-hall. Orthodox Christians here were overjoyed by the overthrow of 
Arianism.  

After Ad Decimum, Gelimer formed a camp 100 miles west of Carthage at the lonely and 
desolate plain of Bulla Regia. Here he collected the remainder of the still strong Vandal 
army and stored the kingdom's treasures. Tzazo finished putting down the rebellion in 
Sardinia and returned to Africa at his brother's request. With Tzazo by his side, Gelimer 
now enjoyed a significant advantage in numbers.

Marching to Carthage he destroyed the city's aqueduct to block one road and then made camp
at Tricameron, 20 miles from the capital, to block a second one and force a battle. 
Belisarius came out in mid-December to fight this decisive battle. 

Between the two armies was a small stream, so insignificant that it had no name. The Vandals
beat back two charges of cavalry over this stream led by John the Armenian; the third led to
an indecisive hand-to-hand encounter. Tzazo fell in this engagement and a very discouraged 
Gelimer fled the field. The Huns struck the side of the Vandals (who had made a circular camp
with women and children in the middle) and the Vandals fled the field once more. Casualties were
recorded as 500 Vandal losses and only 80 for the Byzantines. Upon seeing the treasure in the
camp, military discipline broke down as the barbarians immediately turned all thought to getting
a cut of the loot and dragging it back to Carthage. No quarter was spared as greed gave way to 
murder. Only at dawn the next day was Belisarius, surveying from a nearby hill, able to restore
order. 

Experienced officers were sent to Corsica and Sardinia to mop up, which they did easily. John
the Armenian was ordered to hunt down Gelimer. He pursued him for five days but on the morning
of the sixth day John was shot by the arrow of Uliaris, a drunken barbarian trying to shoot 
a bird from a tree. He expired after a few hours of great pain. Belisarius wept and pardoned
Uliaris as per John's dying wishes.   

Gelimer escaped to the steep mountain of Pappua, where he and his remaining family dwelt in 
misery for three months on the hospitality of the local Moors. Pharas the Herulian was next to
try to capture him, but a storming of the mountain had failed, so he effectively sieged the 
mountain for three months. Gelimer finally surrendered in March 534, accepting the conditions
that he would be treated generously. The Vandal Kingdom came to an end and the Vandals no 
longer appear in history from this time on.

In Constantinople Belisarius recieved a triumph upon his return, something very rare for a 
non-emperor, as Gelimer and Belisarius both prostated themselves before Justinian. Gelimer passed
up his chance to become a Patrician by refusing to renounce his Arian faith, but he received an 
estate in Galatia where he lived with his relatives. Hilderic's children and grandchildren (who
professed the orthodox faith) were warmly received and seemed to stay at the court. Also, the 
spoils which Gaiseric had taken from Rome 80 years before were also recovered and paraded. The
following year Belisarius became consul, and had something of a second triumph. Borne on the 
shoulders of the captives he then rode in a triumphal car and scattered Vandal spoils as gifts
to the crowd. The Vandal War was a great success, but Justinian must have seen it as only a 
stepping stone to his ultimate goal: Rome.


SOURCES

Hodgkin, Thomas. "Italy and Her Invaders, Volume 3". London: Russell and Russell, (1880-89), 1967.

Norwich, John Julius. "Byzantium: The Early Centuries". New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1989.

Oman, Charles. "A History of the Art of War In the Middle Ages". 2nd Edition. New York: Burt Franklin, 1924.

Vasiliev, Alexander A. "History of the Byzantine Empire". Madison: University
     of Wisconsin Press, 1952.


BATTLE NOTES 

A small, short, wide-open scenario designed to show off the Byzantine cataphract (mounted archer) and enjoy
a pure cavalry battle. The Byzantines are outnumbered but are much, much better armed. The computer is pretty
easy to beat playing against either side, because there is lots of room to flank and hit from behind.

I should also mention that although I have never seen the board game 'Cataphract' by GMT games, I have seen a
map on the internet of what its Tricameron scenario looks like, so the layout of the forces might look familiar
since I've never found any other maps for this battle.

- Chris Jackson
March 25, 2000









 