A BRIEF HISTORY OF PIRACY

OVERVIEW

Pirates: heroes or outlaws?

Ancient times

Rome

Middle Ages

PIRATA HOSTIS HUMANI GENERIS

War, piracy, and tradeRule the world with triple power

Johann Wolfgang von GoetheFaust

The history of piracy dates back more than 3000 years, but its accurate account depends on the actual meaning of the word ‘pirate’. In English, the word piracy has many different meanings and its usage is still relatively new.

Since ancient times trade, raiding, and what today we call human trafficking, were inextricably intertwined.

THE MEANING OF “PIRATE”

The word pirate (peirato) was first used in about 140 BC by the Roman historian

Polybius. It’s root meaning was “attempt/attack/try” and described the enterprise

of intrepid seafarers. Whether noble warriors or pillaging raiders, the connotation

remained ambiguous for centuries, depending on the perspective. The Greek

historian Plutarch, writing in about 100 AD, gave the oldest clear definition of

piracy. He described pirates as those who attack without legal authority not only

ships, but also maritime cities.

The meaning of the word pirate most closely tied to the contemporary was

established in the XVIII century .This definition dubbed pirates "outlaws" whom

even persons who were not soldiers could kill. The first application of

international law actually involved anti-pirate legislation. This is due to the fact

that most pirate acts were committed outside the borders of any country.

ANCIENT TIMES

Egyptians• Coastal bandits• Attacks from Northern islanders• Expeditions (oldest description found on a temple wall, and

dates 1490 BC)

Phoenicians• Fast ships, broad web of sea trade• Campaigns combining conquest and pillaging

Greeks• Homer, Odyssey—phoenician pirates• Homer, Odyssey—Trojan pirates (prince Paris himself was one)• Myth—the Argonauts who accompanied Jason in the quest for

the Golden Fleece were what we would call pirates

ROMEThe piracy boom in the decade of the 60's BC was in part due to Rome's

complacency about the issue. A poor economy and oppressive social conditions

also fed the pirate forces with men who discovered more profit as robbers and

pillagers. Rome was unwilling to act conclusively toward the reduction of pirate

forces because those forces, along with tax companies, provided slaves for the

large luxury markets.

Pirates ranged over much of the navigable Mediterranean, concentrating their

raids on major shipping lanes. Upon these lanes goods were transported between

the far western provinces of Spain and Africa, Rome and the rest of Italy, and the

eastern provinces including Macedonia, Greece, Syria and Egypt. Preferred area

to set base or home port, was on the coast of present day Turkey, in an area known

as Cicilia Tracheia.

TARGETS AND LEGISLATURE

The Romans were note beloved. As a reaction against the empire, Roman citizens were frequently sequestered for ransom.

Interestingly there was a Piracy Law during Roman Times that reflected these tensions of dominance and resistance.

An inscription found at Delphi is a 100BC document that set the rules for dealing with pirates. The law stated that Roman citizens should be able to "conduct, without peril, whatever business they desire," presumably wherever they desire. A copy of the law was to be sent by messengers of Rhodes to the kings of Cyprus, Alexandria, Egypt, Cyrene, and Syria informing them that no pirate is to "use the kingdom, land, or territory of any Roman ally as a base of operation. No official or garrison will harbor pirates and should be considered zealous collaborators for the safety of all."

CAESAR’S CAPTURECesar, escaping persecution by the Roman dictator Sylla, was captured by Cilician pirates. According to Plutarch, during the raid, Caesar remained calm, sitting on deck, and reading. When the pirates approached him, and demanded his name, he gave their leader a look of disdain, and continued reading.

Caesar remained with the pirates 38 days, enjoying full freedom of movement. The initial ransom of 10 talents rose to 50 after Caesar mocked he pirates that they were bad at their trade.

During his capture, Caesar wrote speeches and poetry, and kept up with his physical fitness. His poetry didn’t go over well. The pirates called him “the Roman fool.”

Caesar did not have complimentary opinions, either. He declared that he would return, and execute his capturers. He delivered on his promise. As an act of mercy, instead of being crucified, the pirates were either asphyxiated or got their throats cut (the latter, an honor bestowed on the higher ranks).

MIDDLE AGESIn the West, the most notorious of the Medieval prates were Vikings . Vikings was the name of the Nordic people—Danes, Swedes, Norwegians—who explored abroad during a period of dynamic Scandinavian expansion from about AD 800 to 1100.

The first recorded Viking raid was a seaborne assault in 793 by Vikings on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, off the northeast coast of England. Growing evidence indicates that considerable overseas Viking migration occurred long before then. Vikings went deep into the Russian hinterland, founding city-states and opening the way to Constantinople (Istanbul).

William the Conqueror was a Norman, and a raider, essentially a pirate.

Russia owes its origins to the state of Kievan Rus which organized the Slavic population in its vicinity. The Rus people were Vikings, also called Varangians, and first conquered Novgorod, then consequently, Kiev.