Battle of Tricamarum The Battle of Tricamarum took place on December 15 , 533 between the armies of the Vandals , commanded by King Gelimer , and his brother Tzazon , and the eastern Roman Empire ( later referred to as the Byzantine Empire ) , under the command of General Belisarius . It followed Gelimer ' s defeat at the Battle of Ad Decimum , and eliminated the power of the Vandals for good , completing the " Reconquest " of North Africa under the Emperor Justinian I . Background . After being ejected from Carthage , Gelimer set up at Bulla Regia in Numidia , about 100 miles to the west of Carthage ( at what is now the western border of modern Tunisia ) . He knew that in his current state he would not be able to face Belisarius ' s forces , so he sent messengers to his brother Tzazon who was currently campaigning in Sardinia . When he received the message , Tzazon set about returning to Africa to join Gelimer . Meanwhile Gelimer also attempted to divide the forces helping Belisarius . He offered rewards to the local Punic and Berber tribes for every Roman head they could bring , and sent agents to Carthage to attempt to have Belisarius ' s Hun mercenaries — vital to his success at Ad Decimum — betray him . Tzazon and his army joined Gelimer early in December , at which point Gelimer felt his forces were strong enough to take the offensive . With the two brothers at the head of the army , the Vandal force paused on the way to Carthage to destroy the great aqueduct which supplied the city with most of its water . Belisarius had fortified the city in the twelve weeks since Ad Decimum , but knew about Gelimer ' s agents and could no longer trust the Huns in his forces . Instead of waiting for a possible treachery during a siege , he formed up his army and marched out with the cavalry at the front , and the Huns at the rear of the column . Battle . The two forces met at Tricamarum , some 30 miles west of Carthage , and the Roman cavalry immediately charged the Vandal lines , reforming and attacking two more times . During the third charge Tzazon was killed within sight of Gelimer . As had happened at Ad Decimum , Gelimer lost heart . The Vandal lines began to retreat , and soon were in rout . Gelimer fled back into Numidia with what remained of his army , losing over 3 , 000 men killed or taken prisoner . Belisarius then marched on the city of Hippo Regius , which opened its gates to him . Aftermath . Gelimer realized that his kingdom was lost , and attempted to flee to Spain where some Vandals still remained , not having followed the main forces when they crossed into North Africa years earlier . However , the Romans heard of his plans and intercepted him . He was forced to abandon his belongings and take refuge in the mountains of Tunis with the Berbers . The next year he was found and surrounded by Roman forces led by Pharas the Herulian . At first he refused to surrender , even after promises of being allowed to rule . After a particularly nasty winter , he eventually gave up and surrendered to Belisarius . The Vandal Kingdom ended , and their provinces in Sardinia , Corsica and the Balearic Islands came under the control of Justinian . Importance . Paul K . Davis writes , " With this victory , the Byzantines regained control of North Africa for the Eastern Roman Empire . This position became a springboard for the Byzantine invasion of Italy , and that invasion reincorporated , temporarily , the Eastern and Western Roman Empire . "