The Term "vandalism"

[Iron]

where did it come from, I mean a vandal is Germanic tribe in the mid-1st century AD. how come people who Spray paint and such are called "vandals" and its "vandalism". just a question of language that’s been bothering me for awhile.

[Aurora]

Appearently it has to do with the Vandals attacking Rome.I presume they burnt down houses and damaged property in general.

[spartan]

its to do with what the vandals did when they sacked rome. apparently the pointless (to the romans) destruction of beautiful things in the city led them to creating the term vandal to describe people who pointlessly destroy things/objects for no apparent reason except the enjoyment of the act of destroying. personally graffiti to me is proletariat street art and not vandalism.

[JazzRemington]

The Vandals were also known to egg buildings. But it is correct that the term "vandal" comes from the Germanic tribe of the same name.