Pirate History
The Pirates History
Where did pirates originate from? That is a question that has stumped archeologists and historians for years, but the researchers at Pirate Theme Party have decided to take on this daunting question head on. Considering that we are just as crazy about treasure hunts as the pirates of old were, we wanted to get to the bottom of this enigma! What we came to realize was that the origins of piracy may never be known. In fact, piracy and treasure hunting has probably existed since ships were able to traverse the oceans. We will try to stick with what we know, and examine the interesting and fascinating timeline of pirates!
The Sea Peoples
The first documented existence of pirates concerned the “Sea Peoples,” who caused unrest in the Eastern Mediterranean as early as 13 BCE. To put that into perspecitve, that is at least 3,400 years ago! They were referecned by hieroglyphics written during Pharaoh Merneptah reign. Few specifics are known about them and much of the evidence concerning the Sea Peoples is scattered around several continents. What is known was that they were mostly Indo-European, and they were even mentioned in the Bible. They were linked with the Philistines, and considered an enemy of the Hebrews. They were actually a quite powerful force, and some even believe they might have caused the downfall of the Hittite, Mycenaean, and Mitanni Empires!
Cilicia Pirates
Cilicia pirates originated from an area now known as Cukurova, and it is located in southern Turkey, north of Cyprus. Much is known about the Cilicia Empire, but evidence concerning the pirates of Cilicia is somewhat lacking. What was known about them was that they actually captured Julius Caesar in 75 BCE! While Caesar was traveling across the Aegean Sea, the Cilicia pirates kidnapped him and demanded a ransom of 20 talents. Caesar, who was known for his arrogance, demanded that they ask for 50 talents. Once he was released, he raised a fleet and captured the pirates. The Cilicia pirates were eventually put to the cross and executed by Caesar; a fate that many future pirates would have to endure.
Illyrian Pirates
Illyrian pirates roamed the oceans around the same period as the Cilicia. They were a thorn in the Roman Empire’s side, and raised havoc up and down the Roman provinces. There reason for piracy was not to treasure hunt, but rather to cause political instability to the region and hopefully force the overthrow of the oppressive Roman Empire. Unfortunately for the Illyrian pirates, Rome eventually sacked Illyria and ended the threat of the Illyrian pirates.
Polynesian Pirates
Polynesia is a grouping of thousands of small islands that are located in the Pacific Ocean. When researchers and historians first started documenting this area, they were amazed to find a common language and culture that stretched over thousands of miles of ocean. They couldn’t understand how language and culture could have been maintained over such a large are without land connections. It wasn’t until researchers started focusing on Polynesian boats that they realized how the Polynesians did it. Even though Polynesians were separated by vast stretches of ocean, they were able to travel with relative ease because of the innovative design of their boats. The Polynesian canoe is so effective that it is still in use to this day. These boats allowed pirates to raid islands with what was called “hit and run” tactics. The Polynesian pirates demonstrate how piracy was practiced virtually throughout the entire world.
The Narentines
The Narentines originated from Serbia and terrorized those on the Adriatic Sea for about three hundred years during the Middle Ages. They were most prominent from the 5th to the 7th centuries. They were of Slavic descent, and had invaded Serbia in the 5th century. Their target was usually Italy, and they created so much havoc that the entire Adriatic Sea was considered unsafe. Unlike previous pirates, they appeared to be more interested in bounty than politics. Similar to the “hit and run” tactics used by the Polynesian pirates, the Narentines would invade Italian ports, and then flee once the Venetian Navy approached. This may very well have been the time when pirates started becoming more interested in treasure hunts than political turmoil.
The Vikings
Other than the pirates from the “Golden Age of Piracy,” the Vikings are perhaps the most famous of all pirates. They dominated through a long period of the Middle Ages; from the late eighth century to the late eleventh century. They were so effective that the time period they ruled is actually called the “Viking Age.” Throughout history, there remains a common theme; the country with the largest or most modern navy is typically the most powerful empire in the world. That certainly applied to the Vikings who had developed the most effective warship the world had ever seen up to that time. The vessel could be powered by either sail or oars, and the larger ships could carry as many as 60 oars. The crews were about 70-80 strong, and the ships could carry many tons of supplies. There was nothing on the ocean that could hope to compete with the Viking ship. The Vikings were Nordic raiders who would sail from port to port and loot whatever they could. They operated during a time when feudalism reigned, and strong central governments were virtually nonexistent, so they did not have an organized navy to contend with. They raided towns as far east as the Volga river in Russia, and some think they actually arrived in America long before Columbus ever did. These were pirates of the truest sense in that their mission was to collect as much bounty as possible. They wanted treasure rather than political power.
The Wokou
The Wokou were Japanese pirates who first appeared on the scene sometime during the 13th century. They started out raiding the coastlines of Korea and China, but over time they had expanded their horizons considerably. In order to discourage Japanese piracy, the Chinese government forbade civil trade. This had the opposite effect of what was desired. Chinese merchantmen were desperate to trade with the Japanese. Eventually they joined the Wokou, and before long, came to dominate them. They expanded their raids to include much of the South China Sea and were successful for over three hundred years.
Piracy in the Caribbean
The most infamous of all treasure hunters were the Pirates of the Caribbean. They were most prominent from the 16th through the 18th centuries. The pirates were drawn here for one main reason; it was the center of world trade during that period. Columbus’s discovery of the New World opened up all kinds of lucrative trade for Spain and Portugal; a fact not lost on pirates desperate to collect on the wealth. The Spanish had a large silver mining operation in Mexico where most of the silver was transported directly back to Spain. The cargo ships were left virtually unprotected, and their shipping lanes were well known by pirates. The most lucrative trade in the region was in sugar cane and rum. Sugar was a highly valued commodity in Europe where sugar did not grow naturally. It is believed that as much as 90 percent of sugar consumed in Europe came from the Caribbean. Many cane plantations cropped up over much of the Caribbean where the Spanish brought in slaves from Africa to work the fields. It was brutal and dangerous work. Many slaves died because of the harsh conditions and some had even tried to revolt. The modern day island of Haiti was the only island that successfully threw off the yoke of the Spanish. Soon it was discovered that the sugar cane could be used to make alcohol. Prior to that alcohol was only produced by fruits or hops. Sugar made the price of alcohol much cheaper and more available to the public. The pirates were well aware of this fact too, and targeted ships from both the plantations and the mines. Many famous pirates came from this era, including Captain Kidd, and Blackbeard. It has been said that many people thought Blackbeard was the devil himself. When engaged in battle, Blackbeard carried around his pistols and his sword at the ready. He was a large man, and he wrapped hemp and burning fuses in his beard in order to light his cannons quickly. The smoke and tangled mass of hair must have been a terrifying sight. Blackbeard’s ship sported the infamous “Jolly Roger” (a black flag with a white skull and crossbones insignia). While many books and films have been made about these pirates like Pirates of the Caribbean, Cutthroat Island, Peter Pan, Treasure Island, and The Goonies, they are obviously not the only pirates to have roamed the seas. They are only the most famous! Arrggghhh!
Modern Day Pirates
The age of piracy has not disappeared and remains with us to this day. The perpetrators are not the famous characters Captain Hook or Captain Kidd, rather they are ordinary criminals who prey upon unsuspecting victims. Like the film Six Days Seven Nights, modern pirates seek out easy targets to make quick money. It is a major problem, costing the world billions of dollars in revenue each year. Efforts have been made, primarily by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard to thwart the pirates, but there remains many areas of the world that are left unprotected.
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