10

HISTORY OF MALTA.

The Greeks who still remained to defend Malta, and toshare its commerce, unfortunately possessed nothing in commonwith their ancestors but their name, except, indeed, their pride;but being devoid of all their ancient virtues, they soon contrivedto draw upon themselves the enmity of the other inhabitants,who at last sacrificed them to the Arabs.

The catacombs* still existing near the old city may bereckoned among the ancient monuments of that time. Thesewere originally intended for sepulchres; but their number wasafterwards considerably increased, particularly when the dif-ferent heretical sects became so numerous throughout the em-pire : they then most probably served as asylums for individualsof each sect, who wished to escape the bloody persecutions ofthe others; mutual hatred being the only passion which in-fluenced the actions of all. Since that time the inhabitantshave flown to them for refuge, whenever the barbarians invadedthe country.

The only Gothic monument remaining in Malta is an in-scription in the church of St. Agatha, in the city Notable. Thereare no remains of the three centuries which intervened betweenthe reign of Justinian and the capture of the island by the Arabs,but one epitaph preserved in the museum of the public library,and a small, but curious, bronze figure (PI. III. fig. 4) found atGoza, which we shall notice in the proper place.

According to the Cambridge Chronicle, the Arabs seized

* See Abela, for the plan of these catacombs.