Huneric facts for kids
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Huneric (died December 23, 484) was a King of the Vandal Kingdom in North Africa. He ruled from 477 to 484. Huneric was the oldest son of Gaiseric, who was also a famous Vandal king.
Unlike his father, Huneric focused more on what was happening inside his kingdom. He didn't try to expand the empire as much. Huneric was married to Eudocia, who was the daughter of the western Roman Emperor Valentinian III. They had one son named Hilderic.
Huneric was the first Vandal king to call himself "King of the Vandals and Alans". Even with this new title, he didn't have the same respect from other countries that his father Gaiseric had.
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Huneric's Early Life
Huneric was the son of King Gaiseric. When he was young, in 435, he was sent to Italy as a hostage. This happened when his father made a peace treaty with the Western Roman Emperor Valentinian III.
Huneric became king of the Vandals on January 25, 477, after his father Gaiseric passed away. Like his father, Huneric followed a Christian belief called Arianism. His time as king is mostly remembered for how he treated Catholic Christians in his kingdom.
Huneric's Time as King
Huneric was a strong believer in Arianism. At the start of his rule, he seemed to be friendly towards the local Roman people. After a visit from a group of diplomats from the Eastern Roman Empire, Huneric gave back properties that his father had taken from merchants in Carthage.
He also stopped the harsh treatment of local Catholics (who were also called Nicene Christians). He even allowed them to hold a meeting where they chose a new Catholic bishop for Carthage, named Eugenius. This was important because there hadn't been a Catholic bishop there for 24 years.
Changes in Policy
However, not long after Eugenius became bishop, Huneric changed his mind. He started to treat Catholics harshly again. He tried to take Catholic property for the state. But when the Eastern Roman Emperor protested a lot, Huneric decided to send many Catholics away to a distant province instead.
On February 1, 484, he set up a meeting between Catholic bishops and Arian bishops. But on February 24, 484, he forced the Catholic bishops out of their jobs. Some were sent away to Corsica. Some people faced very severe consequences for refusing to become Arians. Among those sent away was Vigilius, a bishop from Thapsus. He later wrote a book against Arianism.
Huneric also acted harshly against many members of his own royal family, the Hasdingi dynasty. He also treated followers of Manichaeism badly.
Towards the end of his rule, the Moors living in the Aurès Mountains (which are in modern-day Algeria) successfully fought against Vandal rule.
Huneric's Death and Successor
Huneric died on December 23, 484. After his death, his nephew Gunthamund became king. Gunthamund ruled until 496.
A writer from that time, Victor of Vita, wrote about Huneric's death in his book. He described Huneric's death as being from a severe illness.
See also
In Spanish: Hunerico para niños
- Hunericopolis, a city renamed after him
