In 397 b.C. the Phoenician-Punic colony of Mozia, born 8 centuries before Christ, near ther Sician southern-western coast was invadedand destroyedby Syracuse tyrant Dionisio I. The survivors took refuge to the Sicilian coast and founded a new town wich they called Lylibeum, or rather "The town wich looks at Lybia"(once the whole African coast was called Lybia).
Lylibeo was conquered by romans in 241 b.C. and became one of the most important Sicilian town: commercial centre, venue of the commisioner and the praetor, was enriched with mansions and public buildings, so a lot to deserve the name of splendidissima urbs given by Cicerone, commisioner between 76 and 75 b.C.
Ravaged by Vandals during the V century A.D., was annexed in VI century to Justinian's Empire, during this period the town lived dark centuries, marked by dysenteries, neglect of Bisanzio and forays of pirates. Arabic-Berbers' arrival at the nearby Granitola mount in the VIII century entailed the resumption of commerce and the start of rebirth of the town, which was renamed Marsa ʿAlī "ʿAlī's harbour" or, maybe, Marsa ʿāliyy, "Big harbour", -for the widht of the ancient harbour, placed near Punta d'Alga- or also Marsa Allāh, namely "God's harbour", whence the current name. The economic and demographic growth entailed an important arabic planning extension, based on arabo.
However some doubt about the origin of the current name still exist. In addition to the hypotesis mentioned, there is one more accordind to wich Marsala comes from mare salis, or rather "Salt ponds by the sea" for the presence of salt pond along the whole northern coast. Nevertheless there aren't at all references in literature about that, so this is problably one of the common "easy ethimologies".
Since the end of XI century followed one another Swedish, Norman, Angevin and Aragonese dominationna e aragonese. During this span of time Marsala lived a wealthy period, but the burying of the big harbour
