Gunthamund facts for kids
Gunthamund (born around 450, died 496) was a king of the Vandals and Alans from 484 to 496. He was the third king of the Vandal Kingdom, which was located in North Africa. Gunthamund became king after his uncle, Huneric, who was not very popular. Because of this, Gunthamund's time as king was quite successful.
Becoming King
Gunthamund was the second son of Gento. Gento was the youngest son of Genseric, who founded the Vandal kingdom in Africa. Many members of Genseric's close family had died. Gunthamund's older brothers had been killed by Huneric.
When Huneric died on December 23, 484, Gunthamund was the oldest male in the family. According to Genseric's rules for who would become king next, the oldest family member was chosen. So, Gunthamund was declared the new king.
A Time of Peace
Gunthamund's rule was helped by the fact that the Vandals' main rivals were busy. These rivals included the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and the Byzantine Empire. They were all involved in their own wars at the time.
Even though the Vandals' power was not as strong as it had been under Genseric, they had a time of peace with Gunthamund as king. Gunthamund was a follower of Arianism, a type of Christianity. However, he was much kinder to Catholic Christians than Huneric had been. Huneric had treated them very harshly.
By easing these harsh treatments, Gunthamund helped to reduce problems within the kingdom. This also made the kingdom's economy stronger, as it had been close to falling apart.
End of His Reign
Sadly for the Vandals, Gunthamund died when he was in his mid-forties. This meant he did not rule for a very long time. His brother, Thrasamund, became king after him. However, Thrasamund was not as good at leading the kingdom as Gunthamund had been.
