Editing History of Malta (section)

===Phoenicians and Carthage===
[[File:Cippus - Louvre.jpg|thumb|One of the [[Cippi of Melqart]] which were discovered in Malta]]
[[Phoenicians]]{{mdash}}possibly from [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]]{{mdash}}began to [[Phoenician colonization|colonize]] the islands around the early {{nowrap|8th century BC}}{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}{{dubious|date=April 2024}}, using it as an outpost from which they expanded sea exploration and trade in the Mediterranean. They called the principal island Ann ({{langx|phn|𐤀𐤍𐤍}}, {{sc|ʾnn}}).{{sfnp|Culican|1992}}{{sfnp|Filigheddu|2006}}{{sfnp|Vella|2023}} Necropolises have been found at [[Rabat, Malta|Rabat]] on Malta and [[Victoria, Gozo|Rabat]] on Gozo, suggesting the main settlements were at present-day [[Mdina]] on Malta and [[Cittadella (Gozo)|Cittadella]] on Gozo.<ref name="cassar53–55">{{harvnb|Cassar|2000|pp=53–55}}</ref> The former settlement was also known as Ann,{{sfnp|Culican|1992}}{{sfnp|Filigheddu|2006}} suggesting it served as the colony's seat of government. The principal port, meanwhile, was at [[Cospicua]] on the [[Grand Harbor]]. Known simply as Maleth ({{lang|phn|𐤌𐤋𐤈}}, {{sc|mlṭ}}, "The Port"), it was probably the namesake of the Greeks' and Romans' names for the entire island.{{sfnp|Vella|2023}}

The Maltese Islands fell under the hegemony of [[Ancient Carthage|Carthage]] around the middle of 6th century BC,{{citation needed|date=April 2024}} along with most other Phoenician colonies in the western Mediterranean. By the late 4th century BC, Malta had become a trading post linking southern Italy and [[Sicily]] to [[Tripolitania]]. This resulted in the introduction of [[Hellenistic art|Hellenistic]] features in architecture and pottery. It is not known if Malta was settled like a traditional Greek {{translit|grc|apoikia}}, so some support that Malta was never a Greek colony.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bonanno|first1=Anthony|title=The Tradition of an Ancient Greek Colony in Malta|journal=Hyphen|date=1983|volume=4|issue=1|pages=1–17|url=http://melitensiawth.com/incoming/Index/Hyphen/Hyphen.%204(1983)1/01.pdf}}</ref> Hellenistic architectural features can be seen in the Punic temple at [[Tas-Silġ]] and [[Punic building, Żurrieq|a tower]] in [[Żurrieq]]. The Greek language also began to be used in Malta, as shown in the bilingual Phoenician and Greek inscriptions found on the [[Cippi of Melqart]]. In the 18th century, French scholar [[Jean-Jacques Barthélemy]] deciphered the extinct [[Phoenician alphabet]] using the inscriptions on these cippi.<ref name="cassar53–55"/>

In 255 BC, the [[Roman Republic|Romans]] raided Malta during the [[First Punic War]], devastating much of the island.<ref name="cassar53–55"/>