Vandals and their vandalism: reality and image from the 5th to the 21st century
In many modern languages, the word “vandal” has come to signify an ignorant and brutal destroyer of property. In reality, the Vandals were no more destructive or abusive than their contemporaries, the Goths. This project will examine the origin of this execrable reputation (with two essential elements: Victor Vitensis’ Historia persecutionis Africanae Provinciae and creation of the word “vandalism” by Henri Grégoire, Bishop of Blois). Lastly, it will study the representation of Vandals in literature, figurative arts, etc., from the fifth century to the present.
Responsable du Projet
Étienne WOLFF , Université Paris Nanterre
Partenaires au sein du labex
- Archeologies and Sciences of Antiquity (ArScAn) - UMR 7041
- La contemporaine | library, archives, museum of contemporary societies