800 BC
Phoenician & Roman Period
Phoenicians Arrive
Around 750 BC, the Phoenicians colonised Malta, naming the islands Maleth — meaning "shelter" in Phoenician, referring to Malta's value as a harbour. Casa Ellul
480 BC
Phoenician & Roman Period
Carthaginian Rule Begins
The Carthaginian period started around 480 BC. Carthage was a city founded by the Phoenicians on the north coast of Africa in what is now modern-day Tunisia.
218 BC
Phoenician & Roman Period
Roman Conquest of Malta
Malta came under Roman rule in 218 BC during the Second Punic War, beginning centuries of Roman influence on the islands.
60 AD
Phoenician & Roman Period
The Shipwreck of St. Paul
The most famous singular event in Malta's classical history occurred around 60 AD, as recorded in the biblical Acts of the Apostles [1]
117 AD
Phoenician & Roman Period
Malta Awarded Municipium Status
By 117 AD the Maltese Islands were a flourishing part of the Roman Empire, awarded the status of Municipium — placing Malta in the second-highest class of Roman cities.
