page_title: Vandal Sardinia
section_title: Godas rebellion
hierarchical_section_title: Vandal Sardinia / Vandal administration / Godas rebellion
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of the operations of the Vandalic War in 533-534, including the rebellions on Tripolitania and Sardinia. Topography taken from from DEMIS Mapserver, which are public domain, other wise self-made. Sources: The History of the Wars by Procopius of Caesarea; J.B. Bury, History of the Later Roman Empire; James Allan Stewart Evans, The Age of Justinian: The Circumstances of Imperial Power, ISBN 9780415022095; Ian Hughes, Belisarius: The Last Roman General, ISBN 9781594160851.
context_page_description: Vandal Sardinia covers the history of Sardinia from the end of the long Roman domination in 456, when the island was conquered by the Vandals, a Germanic population settled in North Africa until its reconquest in 534.
context_section_description: In 533, perhaps taking advantage of a remarkable autonomy, Godas, the Vandal governor of Goth origin, proclaimed himself king of the island, minting his own bronze coins.
  Justinian, Emperor of the East, purportedly to help Godas, decided to intervene and sent an army commanded by General Belisarius and assisted by Duke Cirillus. The Byzantine force led by Belisarius was made up of 16,000 soldiers and 600 ships and headed to Africa while Duke Cyril with some 400 ships headed for Caralis.
  Meanwhile, the King of Vandals, Gelimer, who was also facing a revolt in Tripoli, sent his brother Tzazo with a large contingent of 120 ships and 5,000 men to Sardinia to suppress Goda's uprising. Tzazo quickly took Caralis (where he left a small contingent), executed  Godas and returned immediately to Carthage where the Byzantines had landed. Belisarius had defeated Gelimero on August 30, 533 and occupied Carthage. He was followed by Cirillus, who had failed to reach Sardinia. Tzazo and Gelimer, together with what remained of the army, marched against the Byzantines but were defeated at the Battle of Tricamarum, 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Carthage. Tzazo was killed while Gelimero, escaping capture, surrendered a few months later. Cirillus then went to Calaris where he showed Tzazo's head impaled on a pike to the Vandals of the garrison, who immediately surrendered. Thus the Vandal era in Sardinia ended in 534 and the Byzantine period began.
caption: Vandalic War campaign map
exif: {}