Europe 435: Treaty of Hippo Regius

In 434, feeling threatened by Rugila’s Huns, the Eastern Roman Empire recalled its general Aspar and his troops from Africa, where they had been campaigning against Gaiseric’s Vandals. As this left Africa vulnerable, the Western generalissimo Aetius made peace with the Vandals in early 435 by granting them land and recognizing them as Roman foederati.

About this map

Download map
(download without labels)

This map has in-depth notes in the Journal, exclusive to Patrons on Classical Tier and above. Find them in the events descriptions, marked with the Journal icon .

Notes

Akatziri and the “Scythian Kingdom” (Kuban Huns)

Little is known about the region north and east of the Black Sea in the first half of the fifth century, except that in c. 400 a “Scythian King” (almost always assumed to be a Hun) lived in the Kuban region and by the 440s a Hunnic people known as the Akatziri lived east of the Dniester. Although fragmented, the Akatziri were powerful enough that, when the Eastern Romans aligned with all but one of their kingdoms in 447, it took over a year for Attila’s armies to crush them and install his son as their king. After this, Attila contemplated invading Persia, implying that suppressing the Akatziri had bought the periphery of his empire close to the Caucasus. All this suggests that the Akatziri may have extended into the North Caucasus and that the “Scythian King” may have been part of the Akatziri, although this is of course conjecture.

Main Events

433–450 Exile of Sebastianus▲

In 433, while Flavius Aetius took power in Ravenna and married Bonifatius’ widow Pelagia, Bonifatius’ son-in-law Sebastianus fled Italy to take refuge with the court in Constantinople. He stayed there until 444 when, undermined by intrigues and with his followers accused of piracy, he fled again, first to the Visigoths in Gaul, then to Barcelona, and finally to live with the Vandals in Africa. Here King Gaiseric accepted him as an advisor but gradually grew to mistrust him and in 450 had him murdered. in wikipedia

434–435 Rugila’s Danubian crisis▲

In around 434 the Amilzuri, Itimari, Tounsoures, Boisci, and other Danubian tribes fled Hunnic rule for Roman territory, where they offered their services to the Eastern emperor Theodosius II. Angered, the Hunnic king Rugila sent his envoy Esla to demand that the Eastern Romans return these and other fugitives, beginning a confrontation that convinced Theodosius’ court to recall the Eastern general Aspar from Africa, where he was campaigning against the Vandals. It is uncertain whether the Huns followed these events by invading the Roman Empire, but the crisis ended towards the end of 435, when Rugila suddenly died in his own lands. in wikipedia

434 First Revolt of Gundahar▲

About a year after Flavius Aetius’ return to power in 433, the Burgundian king Gundahar—better known by his legendary names Gunther or Gunnar—revolted against Roman rule and raided into the Gallic province of Belgica Prima. As Aetius was in Italy, and it was perhaps late in the year, it would not be until 435 that the Romans were able to mount a counteroffensive. in wikipedia

11 Feb 435 Treaty of Hippo Regius▲

Learning that the Eastern Roman court was intent on recalling its general Aspar and his army from Africa, the Western magister militum Aetius dispatched the official Trygetius there to negotiate terms with the Vandal king Gaiseric in late 434. The following February, after much discussion, the Vandals agreed to peace at Hippo Regius, becoming Roman foederati in return for lands in Numidia and Mauretania. As part of this treaty, the Romans also seem to have officially recognized Gaiseric as a military commander and granted him the title dux. in wikipedia