Some very interesting people have visited this little island, called Malta, in the Mediterreanan, and I don't mean newly inducted BA students with (little) letters after their names!
During the period of the Punic Wars, many Roman generals would sojourn here on their way to confront Carthage including Claudius Maximus, and Scipio Africanius
........ and even I Titus Quinctius Flamininus
Actually that's Hannibal below!
Just down the road a bit, the 1st Punic War focused on Sicily and the Carthaginians with a little local help proved more than a bit awkward for the Romans. The famed Hannibal of course was domciled in southern Italy for a considerable period and quite possibly visited Maltese shores for a bit of R&R. Similar to another iconic figure in later European history, Napoleon. On his way to take Egypt in 1798, he decided Maltese hospitality was too good to resist and added it to dubious French imperial gains.
A curious little aside to history - if Theobald Wolfe Tone had presented his opinions more forcefully to the court of Napoleon, the Little General might have annexed another little catholic island on the edge of Western Europe, and changed the course of Irish/English history? He didn't have long to wait to meet his old cross channel enemy, as the intensely religious Maltese resented his attitude to the Church and called for help from that bastion of the Reformation, and Malta just swapped one Empire for another!
Sure after the Pheonicians, Arabs, Romans, Turks and the French, it was time to embrace Britannia.
Now in the 21st century a new Empire has the Maltese islands in its sights, the Ryanair revolution! The Irish are coming in droves, 3 flights a week from Baile Atha Cliath, all traumitised by O'Learyism, printed boarding passes in hand, carrying their 10 kilos, afraid to use the loo or buy 3 Euro tea on flight, they flock into this catholic hedonistic hotspot and take the old 47C bus into downtown Valetta where a bit of Rabbit and a bucket of red wine costs less than O'Leary's tea!! No wonder Scipio Africanius and old Bonaparte found it so appealing!
Now another famous 'general' of the modern era can be seen strutting his stuff around Club 22 in the Portamaso Tower in St Julians. The Scot with the Midas touch as regards Premier football, Alex Ferguson, has a soft spot for Malta and can be seen in the 'Scotsman' in St Julians on his regular visits. Apparently he didn't look too despondent at his niece's wedding in the Raddison on Friday in Golden Bay, despite the complete and total football annilation of ManU by the magnificent artisans from Catelonia in Rome the previous week. The latest incarnation of William Wallace, ironically fighting battles for the English, although didn't Robert the Bruce embrace the enemy to acquire the throne?
Yours till next time
Titus
Malta image sourced from HERE
Hannibal image sourced from HERE
Wolf Tone image sourced from HERE
Alex Ferguson image sourced HERE
