Vandal facts for kids
Vandal can mean a few different things!
It can be the name of an ancient German tribe called the Vandals. These people moved around a lot in Europe a long, long time ago.
"Vandal" is also what we call a person who does vandalism. Vandalism means damaging or messing up things on purpose.
On websites like Wikipedia, a vandal is someone who makes bad changes to pages, trying to cause trouble.
Contents
The Ancient Vandal Tribe
The Vandals were a group of people from ancient times. They were one of many "Germanic" tribes. They originally came from an area that is now part of Poland. Around the 3rd century BC, they lived near the Vistula river.
Moving Across Europe
Over many years, the Vandals started to move. This was part of a big period in history when many groups of people were migrating across Europe.
In the early 400s AD, the Vandals, along with other tribes, crossed the Rhine River and moved into Gaul (which is now France). From there, they traveled through Iberia (modern-day Spain and Portugal).
The Vandal Kingdom in Africa
Around 429 AD, the Vandals, led by their powerful king named Genseric, crossed the Strait of Gibraltar into North Africa. This area was then part of the Roman Empire.
The Vandals quickly took control of many Roman lands in North Africa. In 439 AD, they captured the important city of Carthage. This became the capital of their new kingdom. Their kingdom grew to include parts of North Africa, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and the Balearic Islands.
Sacking Rome
In 455 AD, King Genseric led the Vandals to attack and sack the city of Rome. They spent two weeks taking valuable items from the city. This event is one reason why the word "vandal" is now used for people who destroy things.
The End of the Vandal Kingdom
The Vandal Kingdom lasted for about 100 years. In 533 AD, the Byzantine Empire (the eastern part of the old Roman Empire), led by General Belisarius, attacked the Vandal Kingdom. The Byzantines quickly defeated the Vandals, and their kingdom came to an end.
What is Vandalism?
Today, when someone talks about a "vandal," they usually mean a person who damages or destroys property on purpose. This can include things like:
- Breaking windows
- Spraying graffiti on walls
- Damaging public property
Vandalism on Wikipedia
On websites like Wikipedia, "vandalism" means making bad or silly changes to pages. This is usually done to cause trouble or make a page look silly. People who do this are called "vandals." Wikipedia has rules and people who work to fix these bad changes quickly.
Images for kids
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Vandalic goldfoil jewellery from the 3rd or 4th century
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Neck ring with plug clasp from the Vandalic Treasure of Osztrópataka displayed at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria.
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Germanic and Proto-Slavic tribes of Central Europe around 3rd century BC.
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Reconstruction of an Iron Age warrior's garments representing a Vandalic man, with his hair in a "Suebian knot" (160 AD), Archaeological Museum of Kraków, Poland.
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Migrations of the Vandals from Scandinavia through Dacia, Gaul, Iberia, and into North Africa. Grey: Roman Empire.
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The Vandal Kingdom at its greatest extent in the 470s
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The Sack of Rome, Karl Briullov, 1833–1836
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Barbarian kingdoms and tribes after the end of the Western Roman Empire in 476
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Belisarius may be this bearded figure on the right of Emperor Justinian I in the mosaic in the Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, which celebrates the reconquest of Italy by the Byzantine army under the skillful leadership of Belisarius
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The Vandals' traditional reputation: a coloured steel engraving of the Sack of Rome (455) by Heinrich Leutemann (1824–1904), c. 1860–80
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See also
In Spanish: Vándalos para niños
