To the superpowers looking for expansion, the Mediterranean islands were just small stations on the way to the other banks, as whoever owns the sea owns the maritime trade routes. Sicily, Cyprus, Malta, Sardinia, Corsica and other islands attracted a succession of colonial powers seeking marine domination and reaching outlying areas taking a short cut with the least costs. The largest island, Sicily, became a key base for the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Muslims who made it a second channel