The Vandalic or Vandal War ( , `` Vandēlikòs Pólemos '' ) was a conflict fought Hostile_encounter in North Africa ( largely in modern Tunisia ) between the forces of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire and the Vandalic Kingdom of Carthage , in 533–534 .

Under their first king , Geiseric , the formidable Vandal navy carried out Attack pirate attacks across the Mediterranean , sacked Destroying Rome and defeated Conquering a massive Roman invasion in 468 .

The Eastern Roman emperor Justinian took this as a pretext to interfere Hindering in Vandal affairs , and after he secured Preventing_or_letting his eastern frontier with Sassanid Persia in 532 , he began Process_start preparing GetReady an expedition under general Belisarius , whose secretary Procopius wrote Writing the main historical narrative of the war .

Justinian took advantage of , or even instigated Convincing , rebellions in the remote Vandal provinces of Sardinia and Tripolitania .

These not only distracted Gelimer from the Emperor 's preparations , but also weakened Cause_change_of_strength Vandal defences through the dispatch Sending of the bulk of the Vandal navy and a large portion of their army under Gelimer 's brother Tzazon to Sardinia .

These not only distracted Gelimer from the Emperor 's preparations , but also weakened Cause_change_of_strength Vandal defences through the dispatch Sending of the bulk of the Vandal navy and a large portion of their army under Gelimer 's brother Tzazon to Sardinia .

The Vandal king gathered Come_together his forces and met Come_together the Roman army at the Battle of Ad Decimum , near Carthage , on 13 September .

Gelimer 's elaborate plan to encircle Besieging and destroy Destroying the Roman army came close to success , but Belisarius was able to drive Self_motion the Vandal army to flight Self_motion and occupy Control Carthage .

Imperial control scarcely reached Arriving beyond the old Vandal kingdom , however , and the Moorish tribes of the interior proved Convincing unwilling to accept Receiving imperial rule and soon rose Cause_change_of_position_on_a_scale up in rebellion .