A F R 



•f Fiimiis tlie Moor, A. D. ^572, FiVmiiS was tlie Ton of one 

 of tlie liclicK and mod; powerful of the Moorifli priiu-es, 

 who acknowledged the liipremucy of Rome ; and luiviiifr 

 llniii his brotlier in a domeiUc qLiaiTel, lie hecame obnoxi- 

 ous to the dilpleafuic of Romaniii:. Unable to conciliate 

 liim, he appealed agavnil the tyrant, who was an objeiit of 

 imiverlal contempt and hatred, to the fword and to the 

 jieople. Haviu;! ellahliflrcd his power in the provinces of 

 Mauritania and Numidia, and whiUl he was helitating whe- 

 ther he fliould alhime the diadem of a Moorifli kinjr, or 

 the purple of a Roman emperor, Theodofuis the famous 

 Koman general, with a fmall band of veterans, unexpeft- 

 cdly arrived on the African coall, and quelled the rebellion by 

 Jiis prudence and aftlvity ; and Firmus, deprived of all hopes 

 of elcapc, difappointed the infnltiug triumph of tlie Romans, 

 hj ilrangling himftlf in the night. Romanus, who was 

 the original caiil'e of this rebellion, efca])ed with impunity, 

 liy fraud and forgery ; and Theodofius, the reflorer of Bri- 

 tain and of Africa, on a vague furjiicitm that his name and 

 fervices were fuperior to the rank of a fubjeft, was igno- 

 iiiinioully beheaded at Carthage. Gibbon's Hill. vol. iv. 

 go I — 308, 8v/j. 



The Romans, howeva-, did not long retain their domi- 

 nion in Africa. It was loft in confequence of a quarrel 

 between Boniface and ^tius, two Roman generals, 

 who were rirals in reputation and power. The former 

 was fupreme governor of the Roman territories in this 

 countiy ; but in the year 427, he was induced to revolt, 

 by the treachery of the latter : and in order to avenge 

 liis quarrel and maintain his authority, in oppoiltion to his 

 rival, he lought the affillance of Gcnferic, a warhke prince 

 of the Vandals, who left the kingdom of Gallicia, where 

 he had fucceeded his brother Gonderic, and failing over the 

 ftraits of Gades, landed on the a)afts of Barbary, A. D. 429. 

 The army, which he commanded, amounted at firft only 

 to 50,000 e.Teftivc men : but his own dcxteritv, and the dif- 

 contents of Africa, foon fortified the Vandal powers, bv the 

 acceflion of numerous and aftive allies. The wandering 

 Moors of Mauritania precipitated thenifelves into an alli- 

 ance with the enemies of Rome ; and a crowd of naked fa- 

 vages ruflied from tjie woods and vallies of Mount Atlas, 

 to fatiate their revenge on the poliflied tyrants, who had 

 injurioufly expelled them from the native fovcreignty of the 

 )and. The perfecutions of tlie Donatists favoured the 

 defigus of Gcnferic, who avowed himfelf an enemy of the 

 orthodox communion, and who led them to cxpeft a repeal 

 of the odious and opprcffive edicts of the Roman emperors. 

 The conqueft of Africa was facilitated by the aftive zeal, 

 or the feeret favour, of a domeftic faftion ; and the intole- 

 rant fpirit, which difgraced the triumph of Chriftianity, 

 contributed to the lofs of the moll important province of the 

 iveft. 



Boniface having vindicated his innocence at the im- 

 perial court, and regained the favour of the emprefs Pla- 

 cidia, repented of the application which he had made 

 to Genferic, and attempted, by various conciliatory means, 

 to induce him and his adventurers to return to Spain. 

 But all his efforts for this purpofe were ineffeftual. Al- 

 though Carthage, and the Roman garrifons, returned with 

 their general to the allegiance of Valentinian, the reft 

 of Africa was diftraCted with war and faftion ; and the in. 

 exorable king of the Vandals difdained all terms of aceom- 

 jnodation, Boniface and his veterans, with the haftv levies of 

 provincial troops, were defeated with confiderable lofs ; the 

 victorious barbarians infultcd the open countrj- ; and Car- 

 thage, Cirla, and Hippo Regius were the only cities that 

 iliU adiicretl to the declining intertft of Rome. The long 



A F R 



and narrow tra£l of the African coail to wliicli tlie Roman 

 power extended was fertile and jiopulous ; and belides the 

 iupply wliich it afforded to the inhabitants, the annual ex- 

 portation, particularly of wheat, was fo regular and plentiful 

 that Africa deferved the name of the common granary of 

 Rome and of mankind ; and it was called by an ancient writer 

 the foul of the commonwealth. On a fudden, the feveii 

 fruitful provinces, from Tangier to Tripoli, were over- 

 whelmed by the invafion of the VLndals ; and where they 

 found reliftanee, fuch were their difpofitions and iiabits, 

 they feldom gave quarter. Boniface, diilreffed beyond mea- 

 fure by the view of the ruin which he had occafioned, and by 

 his inability to Ibiy its progrcfs, retired into Hippo Regius, 

 which was immediately belieged. By the flvill of this dil'- 

 tlnguiflied commander, the ficge was protracted above 14 

 months ; and thus Boniface was recruited by a powerful ar- 

 mament from Conftantinoiile. As foon as he obtained liiis 

 help he marched out againll the Vandals ; and the lofs of a. 

 fecond battle irretrievably decided the fate of Africa ; upon 

 which lie embarked for Italy with the precipitation of delpair, 

 and loon after, A. D. 4,2, fell in a rencounter witli hij 

 rival yEliits. In the year 439Cartliage was reduced, 585 years 

 after the deftruOition of the city and republic by the younger 

 Scipio : the licentious troops of the vidor were permitted tt> 

 fatiate their rage and avarice, and all perlons were enjoined 

 by an edift, and under the threatened penalty of death and 

 torture, to deliver their gold, filver, jewels :ind valuable fur- 

 niture or apparel, to the royal officers. The lauds that 

 formed the immediate diftrict of Carthage were divided 

 among the barbarians ; and Gcnferic relen'ed for his owu 

 domain the fertile territory of By/.aeium and the adjacent 

 parts of Numidia and G;etulia. Genferic was no leis ar- 

 bitrary and intolerant in *he government of the church than 

 of the flate. He would not allow tlie Africans, who fled 

 before him in the field, to difpute his will in fynods and 

 churches ; and therefore, as he himielt had renounced the 

 orthodox communion, he opprefled his catholic fubjedts by 

 fevere laws and punilhmcnts. His fon Hunn^ric, who fuc- 

 ceeded him, A. D. 477, inherited his vices, and tormented the 

 catholics with the fame unrelenting fuiy. The tlirone of 

 Africa was fucceffively filled by the two nephews of Hunnc- 

 ric, by Gundamund, A. D. 484, and by Thrafimund, A. 1). 

 496 ; both of whom emulated the cruelty of their uncle, 

 and the laft of whom even exceeded it : for in the hour of 

 death he exacted from his fucceffor a folemn oath, that he 

 would never tolerate the fectaries of Athanafius. Hilderic, 

 the gentle fon of the favage Hunneric, afcendtd the throne 

 A. D. 523, and his acceffion was dillinguiflied by the rellor- 

 atlon of peace and univerfal freedom. In 530, the govern- 

 ment was wrefted from him by his coufm Gclimcr ; but the 

 Vandal kingdom, before he could enjoy or abufe his power, 

 was fubverted by the arms of Belifarius ; and the orthodox, 

 party retaliated the injuries which they had ruffcred. The 

 recovery of Africa was intrulled by Jnftinian with Beli- 

 farius ; and in 533 he landed 011 the coall with an army, 

 well chofen and properly equipped for the important fervice 

 to which they were dellined. As the Romans approached 

 Carthage, the mind of Gelimer was filled with an-.viety and 

 terror. The battle that cnfued terminated in the defeat of 

 the Vandals, who, accuilomed only to a Moonfli enemy, 

 were incapable of withlhuiding the armsand dil"ei])liiie of the 

 Romans. Gelimer fled towards the deferts of Numidia ; 

 and Belifarius pi'.chcd his camp on the field of victory at the 

 diilance of ten miles from Carthage. When he drew near the 

 city, he found it bla/ing with torches, as fignals of the public; 

 jov ; the gates were thrown open ; and the inhabitants, with 

 aceiamutions of gratitude, hailed and welcomtu their Roman 

 3 A 2 .Jeliverers, 



