Hasdingi facts for kids
The Hasdingi were a very important group of people from the Vandal tribe during the Roman era. The Vandals were Germanic peoples, which means they came from a region in northern Europe. They probably spoke an East Germanic language. We first heard about them in the early days of the Roman Empire, in areas that are now Poland, eastern Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
The Hasdingi are famous for leading a successful invasion of Roman North Africa. They created their own kingdom there, with its capital city at Carthage. This city is in what is now Tunisia.
Early History and Movements
During the Marcomannic wars, the Hasdingi actually helped the Romans. Because of their help, they were allowed to settle in the Carpathian and Pannonian areas. These places are now part of Hungary and Romania.
At the end of the year 405 AD, the Hasdingi joined forces with the Silingi Vandals and the Sarmatian Alans. Together, they took part in a famous event called the crossing of the Rhine. This was when many groups crossed the Rhine River into Roman territory. Their king, Godigisel, sadly died in battle against the Franks during this crossing.
After spending some years in Gaul (which is modern-day France), these groups of people moved further west. They eventually entered the Iberian peninsula, which includes modern-day Spain and Portugal.
Settling in Iberia
The Hasdingi settled in a region called Gallaecia in 409 AD. Today, this area includes Galicia, Asturias, and the northern part of Portugal. They settled there alongside another group called the Suebi. Their kingdom was one of the very first "Barbarian territories" to be formed before the powerful Western Roman Empire finally collapsed.
Gunderic, who was Godigisel's son, became the next king of the Hasdingi. However, he lost his kingdom to King Hermeric of the Suebi in 419 AD. This happened after a big fight called the Battle of the Nervasos Mountains. In this battle, the Vandals were defeated by a combined army of Suebi and Romans. After this loss, Gunderic fled with his army to Baetica (in southern Spain). There, he became king of the Silingi Vandals and the Alans.
The Vandal Kingdom in Africa
Gunderic was followed by his brother, Gaiseric, who became king in 428 AD. Gaiseric then decided to leave Iberia and sailed to North Africa. There, he successfully established a powerful Vandal Kingdom with its capital at Carthage. This kingdom became very important in the history of the region.
See also
In Spanish: Asdingos para niños
- Haddingjar, who might be ancient stories about the Hasdingi found in Norse mythology.
- Migrations period, a time when many groups of people moved across Europe.
- The western Alans and Vandals, learn more about these groups.
- Timeline of Germanic kingdoms, a list of different Germanic kingdoms throughout history.
