Battle of Cap Bon (468)
| Battle of Cap Bon (468) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Germanic Wars | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Vandal Kingdom |
Eastern Roman Empire Western Roman Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Gaiseric | Basiliscus | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown men Unknown ships |
100,000 (Procopius) 50,000 (modern estimate) 1,113 ships (Cedrenus) |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | 10,000 100 ships |
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The Battle of Cap Bon was an engagement during a joint military expedition of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires led by Basiliscus against the Vandal capital of Carthage in 468. The invasion of the kingdom of the Vandals was one of the largest amphibious operations in antiquity, with 1,113 ships and over 50,000 personnel. The purpose of the operation was to punish the Vandal king Gaiseric for the sacking of Rome in 455, in which the former capital of the Western Roman Empire had been overwhelmed, and the Empress Licinia Eudoxia (widow of Emperor Valentinian III) and her daughters had been taken as hostages.
While attempting to land near Carthage at Cap Bon, the Roman fleet was thrown into disorder by a Vandal fireship attack. The Vandal fleet followed up on the action and sunk over 100 Roman ships. Some 10,000 Roman soldiers and sailors died in the battle. The Roman expedition was now too scattered to land its troops, leading to its complete failure.
The battle is considered to have ended the Western Roman Empire's chances of survival. Without access to the resources of the former Roman province of Africa, the west could not sustain an army powerful enough to defeat its numerous enemies.
The plan was concerted between Eastern Emperor Leo, Western Emperor Anthemius, and General Marcellinus, who enjoyed independence in Illyricum. Basiliscus was ordered to sail directly to Carthage, while Marcellinus attacked and took Sardinia, and a third army, commanded by Heraclius of Edessa, landed on the Libyan coast east of Carthage, making rapid progress. It appears that the combined forces met in Sicily, whence the three fleets moved at different periods.
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