Capture of Malta (218 BC)

Malta had been Carthaginian territory since 480 BC.[1] During the First Punic War, the island suffered a devastating raid by a Roman army under Gaius Atilius Regulus in 257 BC, but it remained under Carthaginian rule.[2]

When the Second Punic War broke out in 218 BC, a Carthaginian force of around 2,000 men under the command of Hamilcar, son of Gisco[lower-alpha 1] garrisoned the Maltese Islands.[4] Despite the Carthaginian defeat at the Battle of Lilybaeum, the Romans were concerned that a Carthaginian-led revolt might break out in Sicily.[5] In order to prevent this, Malta – Carthage's nearest base to Sicily – had to be captured.[5]

Roman Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus had over 26,000 men under his command,[5] and he sailed his fleet from Lilybaeum in order to capture Malta. Vastly outnumbered, Hamilcar surrendered the main city Maleth and his garrison to the Romans, without much of a fight. The fleet returned to Lilybaeum after a few days, where those who had been captured (with the exception of the nobles) were sold as slaves.[6]

The main source about the invasion is an account by Livy.[6] The role of the Maltese inhabitants during the invasion is unclear, and some historians suggest that they might have turned over the Carthaginian garrison to the Romans.[6] The islands were in no position to resist the invasion, and surrendering without a fight was beneficial for the population since it spared the islands from destruction whilst also increasing the possibility for future economic gain.[7]

Archaeological evidence suggests a significant demographic continuity between the periods of Carthaginian and Roman rule of Malta.[8] The Maltese Islands were given some degree of autonomy under Roman rule, possibly as a reward for the islanders' shift of allegiance.[9]