Malta Through the Ages

The most famous singular event in Malta's classical history occurred around 60 AD, as recorded in the biblical Acts of the Apostles [1]

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. 

Following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and a brief occupation by the Vandals and Ostrogoths, Malta was reclaimed for the East. [1, 2, 3]

Arab forces conquered Malta in 870 AD, introducing the Arabic language which would form the basis of the modern Maltese language.

The Arabs introduced Siculo-Arabic, cotton, oranges, lemons, and new irrigation techniques. Many Maltese place names date to this period — and the Maltese language itself evolved from Arabic. Wikipedia