The Battle of Tricamarum ended Vandal power in North Africa, completing Justinian I's reconquest of the region for the Byzantine Empire.
Key Facts
- Date
- December 15, 533 AD
- Byzantine Commander
- Belisarius
- Vandal Commander
- King Gelimer and his brother Tzazo
- Preceded by
- Byzantine victory at Battle of Ad Decimum
- Primary source
- Procopius, De Bello Vandalico
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the Byzantine victory at the Battle of Ad Decimum, the Vandal Kingdom under King Gelimer remained the last major obstacle to Justinian I's ambition to reclaim North Africa for the Byzantine Empire. Gelimer regrouped his forces, reinforced by his brother Tzazo, and prepared for a decisive confrontation with Belisarius's army.
On December 15, 533, the Byzantine army under Belisarius clashed with the Vandal forces commanded by King Gelimer and Tzazo at Tricamarum in North Africa. The battle was a decisive Byzantine victory, breaking the organized military resistance of the Vandal Kingdom.
The defeat at Tricamarum eliminated Vandal military power permanently, ending the Vandal Kingdom and completing Byzantine reconquest of North Africa under Emperor Justinian I. The region returned to imperial control, fulfilling a central objective of Justinian's broader campaign to restore former Roman territories.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Belisarius.
Side B
1 belligerent
King Gelimer, Tzazo.