The story of Malta when the Roman Empire divided reveals the island’s quiet but strategic importance in one of history’s most transformative moments. As the Roman Empire split into East and West in the late 4th century AD, Malta found itself drawn into the orbit of the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine Empire. Though small in size, the island played a key role in maintaining control over vital sea routes through the central Mediterranean.
The story of Malta when the Roman Empire divided: Role in the Unified Roman Empire
Long before the empire split, Rome included Malta in the province of Sicily. The island joined Roman control during the Second Punic War. Because of its central location, Malta became a key outpost between Sicily and North Africa. Roman fleets often found shelter in its natural harbors. At the same time, merchants used the island as a link in vital trade routes. Even so, Malta offered more than strategy. Villas, temples, baths, and Latin inscriptions all reveal how deeply Roman life took root here.
Transition to the Byzantine Empire
When Emperor Theodosius I died in 395 AD, the Roman Empire was permanently divided between his two sons. The western half, ruled from Ravenna, and the eastern half, ruled from Constantinople, began to drift apart politically and culturally. Malta became part of the Eastern Roman Empire, better known today as the Byzantine Empire.
Under Byzantine rule, Malta remained strategically important but less urbanized than larger centers. The island’s bishopric continued to function, and Christianity grew stronger. Fortifications were likely maintained or improved as coastal defense became more critical in the face of pirate raids and later Arab expansion.
A Link Between East and West
Although the Western Roman Empire eventually collapsed, the Eastern Empire survived for nearly a thousand years. Malta, positioned in the heart of the Mediterranean, became part of this legacy. The history of Malta when the Roman Empire divided reminds us how the island adapted to shifting powers—always small, but never insignificant in the wider currents of empire.