M

alta

 

Malta is an archipelago in the southern Mediterranean Sea.  Its earliest human inhabitants made pottery similar to that made in Sicily during the same time period, pointing to their likely migration from the Italian peninsula.  The name “Malta” may come from a Greek word meaning “honey” since the island has a prized native species of bees, or it may be derived from a Phoenician word meaning “haven” referring to all the many bays and coves on the islands.  Some of the oldest freestanding megaliths in Europe are to be found dating from 3500 BC.  The Phoenicians, Greeks and the Romans all visited the islands leaving behind structures and artwork.

Malta became an Arab ruled state in 990 AD at the same time as Sicily thanks to betrayal by Euphemius' during the Byzantine-Arab Wars.  The Maltese language descends from the language brought by the Sicilian Arabs.  In 1099 the people of Malta invited the new Norman lords of Sicily to return the islands to Christianity.  Malta’s extreme strategic value made it attractive to many navies and was therefore militarized.  The strongest Maltese counts were Genoese corsairs.

During the Middle Ages Malta passed through several rulers, including the Hohenstauffen Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors under whom all Muslims were expelled or required to convert to Christianity in 1244, and thereafter to the Capetian House of Anjou, later the Republic of Genoa, the Kingdom of Naples and then to the Aragonese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Knights of Malta

 

In 1522 the Knights Hospitaller, a militaristic order, were driven out of Rhodes by the Ottoman Empire.  Holy Roman Emperor Charles V established them on the islands in 1530.  They became known as the Knights of Malta.  The Maltese island of Gozo was attacked in 1551 by Barbary corsairs and every Christian male on it carried away as slaves.  Led by Grand Master of the order, Jean de la Valette, the Knights successfully fought off a siege by the Ottoman Empire in 1565.  You can read fictional accounts of the Knights of Malta in both Tim Willocks’ The Religion and Dorothy Dunnett’s Disorderly Knights.

16th Century Map of Malta

 

In 1675, about one sixth of the approximately 60,000 population died of the Plague.

Napoleon Bonaparte destroyed the Knights of Malta in 1798 while on his way to the attempted conquest of Egypt.  When Napoleon was defeated and sent into exile, the Treaty of Paris put Malta under the control of the British Empire who used it as a naval base and supply station.

Malta declared its independence in 1964, though it retained Queen Elizabeth II as titular head of state.   In 1974 Malta became a republic and is now a member of the European Union.  Though only able to produce a fraction of its own population’s food needs and being short of fresh water and depending on foreign trade, it remains an important seaport in the Mediterranean.  Along with its highly productive workforce it is blessed with manufacturing of such items as electronics and is a source of limestone for the region.  The International Monetary Fund deems it an advanced economy. Its excellent climate and beaches and its rich historical sites make it a popular tourist destination.

 

Nan Hawthorne is a historical novelist living in the Pacific Northwest.  Her novels include An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England and Beloved Pilgrim, a novel of the Crusade of 1101. Visit Nan at NanHawthorne.com