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HISTORY OF MALTA, 9

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form: likewise a round piece of marble (PI. I. fig. 4), the useof which is unknown: the sculpture on one side represents agriffin with its paw on the head of a ram, and on the other atheatrical mask.

On the division of the Roman empire, the island of Maltafell to the lot of Constantine; religious disputes arose, and en-gaged the attention of all parties. The energy which distin-guished the ancient masters of the universe was destroyed, andthey were unable to resist the swarms of barbarians who, in thebeginning of the fifth century, issued from the North, ravagedthe empire, and subdued the greatest part of it. The empirebeing thus dismembered, the Vandals seized upon Sicily in 454;and next took possession of Malta, from which they were driven,ten years afterwards, by the Goths. The island, whilst underthe oppressive rod of these barbarians, could not possiblyflourish, nor could its trade be preserved.

It appeared once more to raise its head under the reign ofJustinian, who sent Belisarius to wrest Africa from the Vandals.This general landed in Malta in 553, and took possession of theisland, which he reunited to the empire, and thus again madeit of very essential use to all commercial nations. The fate ofGoza was always the same with that of Malta.

These islands became afterwards still more rich; but, theemperors not allowing them the same privileges they enjoyed. under the ancient Romans, they never entirely recovered theirformer splendour.

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