Mare Nostrum to Egypt, and "mare nostrum" began to be used in the context of the whole Mediterranean Sea. Other names were also employed, including "mare internum" ("Internal Sea"), but these did not include "mare mediterraneum", which was a late Latin creation only attested to well after the Fall of Rome. The rise of Italian nationalism during the "Scramble for Africa" of the 1880s led to calls for the establishment of an Italian colonial empire. The phrase was first revived by the Italian poet Gabriele d'Annunzio. The term was again taken up by Benito Mussolini for use in fascist propaganda, in a
Operation Mare Nostrum €1.8 million from the External Borders Fund. Mare Nostrum was operated by the Italian Navy and saw ships operating near the coast of Libya. The operation's search and rescue component is claimed by advocacy groups like the European Council on Refugees and Exiles to have saved thousands of lives, but the operation was politically unpopular and extremely costly for just one EU state. The Italian government had requested additional funds in order to continue the operation, from the other EU member states, but they did not offer the requested support. The operation ended on 31 October 2014 and was superseded