Malta through the ages (4) : medieval Malta (part one)

Abstract

If little can be said about Roman rule in Malta, not much more can be said about the centuries which followed. Infact the early middle ages were at one time referred to as the "Dark Ages", in reference to the reportedly low culture of the period. Thankfully, the term is today no longer in use, but one may say that in view of the lack of evidence about the time, that period may be called " dark" in that little is known of what our forefathers underwent. Following the end of Roman Rule, the Maltese Islands became part of the Byzantine Empire - the Eastern faction of the Roman Empire, brought into being by Emperor Constantine. The Byzantines occupy about four centuries of Maltese History about which not much is known, and a look at the circumstances immediately shows why. The first problem facing the historian when tackling the period is that what material exists is to be found in a multiplicity of languages. Furthermore, as Constantinople was the focal point of the Empire, most material is concerned with the happenings in the city itself; as a result not much is known about the provinces. This is particularly evident until the year 867, by which time the Maltese Islands were well under way to acquiring new masters.