Gourt > Society > History > By Topic > Maritime > Piracy > Pirates (2)
Piracy is robbery committed at sea, or sometimes the shore, by an agent without a commission from a sovereign nation. One who commits piracy by engaging in robbery, pillaging, or plundering at sea is known as a pirate. Seaborne piracy against transport vessels remains a significant issue (with estimated worldwide losses of States dollar|US$" target="_blank" >*13 to $16 billion per year*), particularly in the waters between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, off the Somali coast, and in the Strait of Malacca and Singapore, which are used by over 50,000 commercial ships a year. A recent surge in piracy off the Somali coast spurred a multi-national effort led by the United States to patrol the waters near the Horn of Africa to combat piracy. While boats off the coasts of South America and the Mediterranean Sea are still assailed by pirates, the advent of the United States Coast Guard has nearly eradicated piracy in American waters and the Caribbean Sea. The Jolly Roger is the traditional flag of European and American pirates.
Antiquity
The earliest documented incidence of piracy are the exploits of the Sea Peoples who threatened the Aegean in the 13th century BC. In Classical Antiquity, the Tyrrhenians and Thracians were known as pirates. The island of Lemnos long resisted Greek influence and remained a haven for Thracian pirates. The Latin term pirata, from which the English "pirate" is derived, derives ultimately from Greek peira "attack, attempt", cognate to peril. By the 1st century BC, there were pirate states along the Anatolian coast, threatening the commerce of the Roman Empire. When Sulla died in 78 BC, Julius Caesar returned to Rome as a lawyer, prosecuted Sulla's supporters, and headed to the Greek town of Rhodes to study oratory. Pirates seized control of the vessel in 79 BC, kidnapped Caesar, and held him for ransom. After purchasing his freedom, he assembled a small army which captured the pirates and crucified them. (These dates are inconsistent, BC years progress by decreasing). The Senate finally invested Pompey with special powers to deal with piracy in 67 BC (the Lex Gabinia), and Pompey after three months of naval warfare managed to suppress the threat. In the 3rd century, pirate attacks on Olympus (city in Anatolia) brought impoverishment.
Among some of the most famous ancient pirateering peoples were the Illyrians, populating the western Balkan peninsula. Constantly raiding the Adriatic Sea, the Illyrians caused many conficts with the Roman Republic. It was not until 68 BC that the Romans finally conquered Illyria and made it a province, ending their threat.
More on [ Piracy ]
âªChasing Pirates / Norah Jones (2009.12.30 14:19) #nowplaying
RADIOi_Now (RADIOi Now On Air) Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:20:10 -0000
♪Chasing Pirates / Norah Jones (2009.12.30 14:19) #nowplaying
@iputmochi moci liat deh petville gw gw pakein baku bajak laut biar sama kayak jiohnny depp di pirates. wahahahah
mulymutiara (muly mutiara) Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:17:48 -0000
@iputmochi moci liat deh petville gw gw pakein baku bajak laut biar sama kayak jiohnny depp di pirates. wahahahah
Q:Who would win in a fight: pirates or ninjas?... A:ninjas http://formspring.me/StephSODMG/q/12793238 #formspringme
StephSODMG (StÑph & iGot Swag) Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:16:12 -0000
Q:Who would win in a fight: pirates or ninjas?... A:ninjas http://formspring.me/StephSODMG/q/12793238 #formspringme
Watching pirates 3 and finishing up cleaning my room (; im excited about the new set up
ChalsiEspiritu (ChalsiEspiritu) Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:15:29 -0000
Watching pirates 3 and finishing up cleaning my room (; im excited about the new set up
New Era Pittsburgh Pirates Basic Black White 59Fifty http://dealnay.com/211737 #baseball_helmet
fangear (Fan Gear Deals) Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:15:26 -0000
New Era Pittsburgh Pirates Basic Black White 59Fifty http://dealnay.com/211737 #baseball_helmet
@amosskib pirates or ninjas?
NannaWolf (Melinda H) Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:15:18 -0000
@amosskib pirates or ninjas?
404
Bonny, Anne and Read, Mary - Abridged versions of the biographies of these two women pirates provided in Captain Charles Johnson's book.
Captain Kidd's Island Found - Dedicated to his life and times - includes biographical information and the hunt for buried treasure.
Meta Description: [ Captain Kidd' ]
Dampier, William - Short biography and discussion of the onetime buccaneer and British explorer's trip to the Orient.
Dampier, William: The New World Voyages - Brief biography of this 17th century British explorer. From the Athena Review.
Deane, John - Sailor, mercenary, spy, diplomat, petty criminal and shipwrecked cannibal. Short biography.
Meta Description: [ Sailor, mercenary, spy, diplomat, petty criminal and shipwrecked cannibal! The remarkable life of a Burgess including the siege of Gibraltar, the Great Northern War and the Boon Island Scandal. ]
404
Easton, Peter - Biography of The Marquis of Savoy, an infamous pirate of the seventeenth century.
Jean Lafitte: Gentleman Pirate of New Orleans - Information on the life of pirate Jean Lafite.
Meta Description: [ Jean Lafite, pirate, Jean Lafite: New Orleans pirate plus Barataria ]
Kidd's Island - A short history of Captain Kidd and speculation about pirate's treasure buried in the Connecticut River.
Morgan, Henry - a Welsh buccaneer - A short biography of Sir Henry Morgan and his relationship with the Morgans of Monmouthshire.
Meta Description: [ A note on Sir Henry Morgan and the Morgans of Monmouthshire. ]
404
O'Malley, Gráinne: Pirates and Privateers - Biography of this Irish noblewoman turned pirate. Also known as Gráinne Ni Mháille, Granuaile, Grace O'Malley, Grany Malley.
Meta Description: [ Legends Site Map. Exploring Legends in History,
Folklore,
Literature, Fiction, and the Arts. ]
Whydah Pirates - A National Geographic documentary on the Whydah, and the lives of her crew.
Meta Description: [ Learn about the lives of the real pirates of the Whydah, a ship that sank off the New England coast in 1717. ]
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