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Gelimer
(Around 480-553) Last Vandal king (530-534).
Gelimer's skills as a king never really came to the test. His short reign dealt first with the repercussions from the coup that made him king, and then with the threat from the Byzantine Empire.
The Byzantines called for a return to power of King Hilderic, but they were really aiming at taking back control over North Africa, now that the Vandal kingdom had been weakened.
Gelimer's surrender to the Byzantines after a year of war is said to have been most cowardly, grovelling at the feet of the Byzantine general, Belisarius. He was also granted large estates in Galatia by the emperor and lived to be an old man.
Biography
Around 480: Born.
530: Gelimer leads a rebellion against his cousin, King Hilderic, in rage over the religious politics. Hilderic is removed from the throne. Gelimer becomes new king, and Hilderic is imprisoned.
533 June: The Byzantine emperor, Justinian 1, sends an army to the Vandal kingdom, officially aiming at reinstating Hilderic. King Gelimer has Hilderic killed.
— September: Gelimer's army is severely defeated by the Byzantines.
— December: Gelimer flees to the desert of Numidia.
534 March: Gelimer surrenders to the Byzantines, and the Vandal kingdom ends. Gelimer is given an estate in Galatia.
553: Gelimer dies.
© Copyright 1996-2008 LookLex Ltd. All rights reserved
By: Tore Kjeilen
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