- Gunderic
Gunderic (379-428),
King of theVandals andAlans (407-428) led theVandals , a Germanic tribe originally residing near theOder River, to take part in the barbarian invasions of the westernRoman Empire in the fifth century.He was a son of King
Godigisel , the Vandal king when his people breached theRhine River frontier of the empire on the last day of 406. During that year, the Vandals had become heavily involved in a war with theFranks , who were already settled inGaul as allies of the Romans, and who attempted to keep the Vandals out. Godigisel was killed in the fighting and Gunderic succeeded him.Gunderic and his people ultimately crossed the
Pyrenees into Spain. With theHasdingi portion of the Vandals he established the kingdom in the roman province ofGallaecia (north-western Spain). Conflicts with theSuebi drive him intoBaetica in the south, where he joins theSilingi portion of the Vandals. Some scholars believe that the modern term of the region,Andalusia , is derived from the Vandals, because they invaded North Africa from the Iberian Peninsula.Around 426,
Attaces , the king of theAlans , fell in battle against theVisigoths , and most of the surviving Alans appealed to Gunderic. Gunderic accepted their request and thus became King of the Vandals and Alans.Late in his reign, the Vandals themselves began to clash more and more with the Visigoths, often getting the worse of these battles because the Visigoths were so much more numerous. After Gunderic died early in 428, the Vandals elected his half-brother
Geiseric as his successor, and Geiseric left Spain to the Visigoths in favor of invading RomanAfrica .
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