Tzazo

Tzazo (also known as Tzazon or Zano) was the brother to King Gelimer (530 to 534), the last Vandal ruler of the North Africa. Tzazo died on 15 December 533 during the Battle of Tricamarum, which finally brought to an end the Vandal Kingdom in North Africa.

Tzazo had not been involved in the earlier Battle of Ad Decimum because Goddas, instigated by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian the Great, had declared the Vandal province on the island of Sardinia independent from Carthage. King Gelimer had been unware of the approaching Byzantines and sent Zano to repress the rebellion, which he did.

After his defeat at Ad Decimum, Gelimer knew that in his current state he would not be able to face Belisarius's forces, so he sent messengers to Tzazo to return from Sardinia with his expeditionary force of over 120 ships and 5,000 Vandals. Tzazo and his army joined Gelimer early in December, at which point Gelimer felt his forces were strong enough to take the offensive.

Their joined forces immediately marched on Carthage pausing on the way to demolish the great aqueduct on which the capital chiefly depended for it’s water supply. Belisarius had spent the weeks since the Battle of Ad Decimum strengthening the city defences, he did not want to face a siege and he was beginning to grow suspicious of the loyalty of the Huns and other barbarians under his command, knowing some of his army was being approached by agents of Gelimer. He gave the order to march to meet the Vandals in battle putting the Huns and barbarians in the rear of his force.

The Battle of Tricamarum took place on December 15, 533 between the armies of the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer and his brother Tzazo, and the Byzantines commanded by Belisarius. The two forces met some 30 miles outside Carthage and the Roman cavalry immediately charged the Vandal lines, reforming and attacking two more times. In the third charge, Tzazo was cut down in front of Gelimer, who lost heart and fled to the mountains of Numidia. Gelimer soon realised that his position was hopeless and eventually gave himself up to the Emperor.