Byzantine Battles: Battle of Cape Bon

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Battle of Cape Bon (Battle of Carthage, Battle of Mercurii Promontorium)	year: 468
A heavy defeat of a big Byzantine army by the Vandals of Carthage	★ ★ ★ ★ ★

enemy: Vandals	location: Cape Bon (ancient Mercurii Promontorium), Tunisia, near the site of ancient Carthage	accuracy: ●●●●●
battle type: Naval Battle	war: Vandalic War	modern country: Tunisia

	▼ The Byzantines(emperor: Leo I the Thracian)	▼ The Enemies
Commander:	Basiliscus	King Genseric
Forces:	1,113 ships, 100,000 men	Unknown
Losses:	700 ships, 70,000 men

Background story:

Eastern Emperor Leo I, Western Emperor Anthemius, and General Marcellinus (independent ruler of Illiricum) organized an expedition against the Vandals in Carthage, North Africa. The purpose was to punish the Vandals for the sacking of Rome in 455 and, of course, to restore Roman control in Africa.
The combined amphibious operation was one of the greatest military undertakings recorded in world history. Basiliscus, brother-in-law of Leo, sailed with the main Byzantine force 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.

The Battle:

Byzantine dromon

Sardinia and Libya were already conquered by Marcellinus and Heraclius, when Basiliscus cast anchor off the Promontorium Mercurii, now Cape Bon, opposite Sicily, about forty miles from Carthage.
Genseric requested Basiliscus to allow him five days to think over the conditions of a peace. During the negotiations, he gathered his ships and suddenly attacked the Roman fleet. The Vandals had filled many vessels with combustible materials. During the night, these fire-ships were propelled against the unsuspecting Roman fleet. The Byzantines tried to escape from the trap, but their maneuvers were blocked by the attack of other Vandal vessels.
Basiliscus fled in the heat of the battle.

Noteworthy:

Given that 1113 ships and 100,000 men took part (Roman side only), this was one of the biggest amphibious operations in world history

Aftermath:

After the destruction of the fleet and the murder of Marcellinus in Sicily, the failure was overwhelming. To retaliate, the Vandals attacked Peloponnese (were repelled by the Maniotes) and Zakynthos (slaughtered 500 prisoners. A peace treaty was signed later, in 476. The Vandal Kingdom survived until 534.

Byzantine Battles

Battle of Cape Bon

468