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Everybody Wants Malta in the Middle Ages!

After the Romans, who build a grand citadel on Gozo, the Byzantines took charge. Goths and Vandals may have temporarily invaded, and certainly the Arabs took Malta with blazing force in 869 AD. Islam replaced Christianity, and today's Maltese language, derived from Arabic, was established. Roger the Norman and his soldiers from Sicily reinstated Christianity in 1090. In 1194 the Swabian Emperor Henry VI of Hohenstaufen became King of Sicily and thus also possesesed Malta. The Swabian's lasting legacy was falconry, and the famous Maltee falcons became a prize export and symbol. Anjou (France) conquered Malta next; during this reign Malta adopted the Latin script. Then Aragon (Spain) owned Malta, although the actual ruling was assigned to greedy Sicilian counts until 1397. Saracens from Tunisia kidnapped some 3,000 Maltese for slavery. Many Maltese retaliated against outside aggression by becoming pirates!