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Banner Artemide LXII
Lot # 585
Vandals in North Africa. Thrasamund (496-523). AE Nummus, Carthage mint. Obv. DN RG-TASA. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev. Victory advancing left, holding wreath. MEC 1, 19-20. BMC Vandals 32-6. CNR XIX, 1994. Cfr. Lulliri-Urban 231. AE. 0.94 g. 10 mm. RR. An outstanding example, with complete and fully readable legends. Green-brown patina. Rare as such. Good VF. The Vandals invaded North Africa after they were driven out of Spain by the armies of the western empire in 429; they worked their way across North Africa from west to east over the following decade until they took and occupied Carthage in 439, when it became their capital.
They were governed by a succession of kings : Geiseric (428-77); Huneric, Geiseric's eldest son (477-84); Gunthamund, Geiseric's grandson (484-96); Thrasamund, Geiseric's grandson (496-523); Hilderic, Geiseric's grandson (523-30); and Gelamir, Geiseric's great-grandson (530-33).
In 533 their kingdom was invaded by the army of the western empire under Justinian's general Belisarius, and occupation of and rule over North Africa passed to the Byzantines.
The Vandals at various times took and occupied Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, and they sacked Rome in 455. But their century-long dominance of North Africa was equally underpinned by more peaceful contacts : this shows itself not only in the treaties which maintained a sometimes fragile peace (with the west in 435, 442 and 472, and with the east in 476), but also in dynastic intermarriage : Huneric married Eudocia, daughter of Valentinian III around 456, and Thrasamund married Amalafrida, the sister of Theoderic.
(N.M.Kay, Epigrams from the Anthologia Latina.).
Starting price: € 100
Number of bids: 10
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Sold: € 220
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