Choose a language study trip to Maltameans giving yourself the opportunity to practice the language of Shakespeare amidst landscapes quite different from those found in Great Britain. Yes, but that’s not all: traveling to the Mediterranean’s most famous archipelago means immersing yourself in a rich and unique history. To prove it to you, our organization invites you today to learn a little more about Malta… in ancient times.
When does the ancient world begin, and when does it end?
Historians generally define antiquity as the period beginning with the development and adoption of writing —which distinguishes it from prehistory—and ending with the start of the Middle Ages, around the 5th century CE.
A highly strategic location in the Mediterranean Sea
Generally speaking, the archipelago you’ll explore during a language study trip to Malta held a strategic position throughout antiquity. Why? The explanation is simple: its central location in the Mediterranean made it a key hub for the maritime powers of centuries past.
From the Phoenicians to the Romans, via the Greeks and the Carthaginians
By the end of the 9th century B.C., Malta had become a Phoenician outpost and remained so until the early 8th century BCE. As great seafarers, the Phoenicians used the Maltese landscape as a stopover on the copper trade route, a metal they sourced from what is now the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago then came under Greek influence before falling under Carthaginian occupation. Finally, Roman rule began in 218 BC; it is Livy, the famous author of the monumental work*History of Rome*, who provides this precise date. Given this information, it is no surprisethat Malta is considered one of the most iconic crossroads of civilization in European history!