The Vandals were a group who moved into Roman Spain in the fifth century AD, they later moved into North Africa for debated reasons. The migration to Africa occurred under their king Gaiseric, who set up a capital in Carthage in 435. After a century of mixed relations with their Roman and Ostrogothic neighbours, the Vandal Kingdom was ended with the defeat of King Gelimer by the Roman general Belisarius in 534.

The modern term 'vandal', while derived from the historical Vandals, does not reflect their treatment of the Roman legacy in North Africa. Indeed, far from engaging in wanton destruction, the Vandals preserved and improved Roman buildings, infrastructure and artwork; they also had noted Latin poets, most prominent of whom is Luxorius. The modern association comes from the French Revolution in 1789, when a term was desired to describe the destruction taking place across France, the Goths were supposed to be the comparison, but the Southern French considered their heritage to be Visigothic, so the Vandals, from whom no 18th century people claimed descent, were chosen.

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