Vandal sack of Rome

Timeline

1. 455Carthage · TunisiaAfter Western Roman emperor Valentinian III was assassinated and the usurper Maximus was killed, Vandal king Gaiseric used the broken betrothal of Valentinian's daughter Eudoxia as a pretext to sail from North Africa and invade Italy.
2. 455Rome · LazioThe Vandal army entered Rome and, through the mediation of Pope Leo I, promised not to kill or set fires, but still plundered palaces, temples, and private residences, carrying off members of the imperial family and vast treasures to North Africa.
3. 455Rome · ItalyAfter the Vandals withdrew with their spoils, Rome lay devastated, the empire's finances and prestige were severely damaged, and the word 'vandal' thereafter became a synonym for wanton destruction.