Pirate History / Facts
• The oldest account of pirates was of a ship attack in North Africa during the Ancient Greek and Roman age
• In the 3rd century BC, pirate attacks on Olympus in Lycia brought impoverishment
• As early as 258 AD, the Gothic-Herulic fleet ravaged towns on the coasts of the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara
• In medieval Europe the Vikings from Scandinavia raided between the 8th and 12th centuries
• In the Late Middle Ages, the Frisian pirates fought against Emperor Charles V with some success
• In the 9th century, Moorish pirate havens were placed along the coast of southern France and northern Italy
• From 824 to 961 Arab pirates raided the entire Mediterranean
• Narentines continued raiding Venetian waters against the Italians in 887–888
• Viking raiders plundered countries of Western Europe between 700 and 1100
• Between 10th and 14th century, many European countries formed alliances to deter of pirate attacks
• English cities formed defenses in 1300s combating pirate attacks on ships and cities
• French and English combined forces against African based pirates at the end of 14th century
• Continued trade between Europe and India in 15th century was responsible for more acts of piracy
• The first Golden Age of Piracy began around 1650 by more trade and buccaneers left the Caribbean
• Blackbeard and Bartholomew Roberts plundered many ships and killed countless victims in early 1700s
• By 1730 international anti-piracy laws finally ended the Golden Age of Piracy
• At the end of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe in 1815 some sailors returned to piracy
• At this time a new pirate empire in China, had more than 600 pirate junks and 30,000 men
• 1990s attacks on shipping returned in parts of the world.
Assorted Pirate Facts
• Blackbeard intimidated prisoners by weaving hemp into his beard and setting it on fire.
• Pirates wore eye patches to adjust to the light and darkness above and below deck during raids.
• The word buccaneer derives from the French boucanier ‘to cook meat over an open flame.’
• The traditional skull-and-crossbones flag is known as the Jolly Roger.
• Pirate symbols such as hourglasses, horned skeletons, and lifted drinking glasses conveyed a violent life.
• Despite minimal sailing experience, Stede Bonnet turned “Gentleman Pirate” to escape a bad marriage.
• Pirates didn’t usually make people walk the plank. They keelhauled or just threw them overboard instead!
• Each pirate ship lived by a code of conduct, such as “every man has a vote” and “injuries will be compensated.”
• Pirates wore earrings to commemorate travels, prevent seasickness, and pay for burials if on land.
• Pirates rarely buried their loot; they kept it on board and divided it up among the crew.
• Mary Read disguised herself as a man to become a soldier, merchant sailor, and pirate.
• Pirates often enjoyed better lives than did navy seamen and merchant marines.
• The wealthiest pirate in recorded history, “Black Sam” Bellamy, was known as the “Robin Hood of the Sea.”
• Pirates didn’t use treasure maps, but they did value (and steal) sailing charts.
• In the 3rd century BC, pirate attacks on Olympus in Lycia brought impoverishment
• As early as 258 AD, the Gothic-Herulic fleet ravaged towns on the coasts of the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara
• In medieval Europe the Vikings from Scandinavia raided between the 8th and 12th centuries
• In the Late Middle Ages, the Frisian pirates fought against Emperor Charles V with some success
• In the 9th century, Moorish pirate havens were placed along the coast of southern France and northern Italy
• From 824 to 961 Arab pirates raided the entire Mediterranean
• Narentines continued raiding Venetian waters against the Italians in 887–888
• Viking raiders plundered countries of Western Europe between 700 and 1100
• Between 10th and 14th century, many European countries formed alliances to deter of pirate attacks
• English cities formed defenses in 1300s combating pirate attacks on ships and cities
• French and English combined forces against African based pirates at the end of 14th century
• Continued trade between Europe and India in 15th century was responsible for more acts of piracy
• The first Golden Age of Piracy began around 1650 by more trade and buccaneers left the Caribbean
• Blackbeard and Bartholomew Roberts plundered many ships and killed countless victims in early 1700s
• By 1730 international anti-piracy laws finally ended the Golden Age of Piracy
• At the end of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe in 1815 some sailors returned to piracy
• At this time a new pirate empire in China, had more than 600 pirate junks and 30,000 men
• 1990s attacks on shipping returned in parts of the world.
Assorted Pirate Facts
• Blackbeard intimidated prisoners by weaving hemp into his beard and setting it on fire.
• Pirates wore eye patches to adjust to the light and darkness above and below deck during raids.
• The word buccaneer derives from the French boucanier ‘to cook meat over an open flame.’
• The traditional skull-and-crossbones flag is known as the Jolly Roger.
• Pirate symbols such as hourglasses, horned skeletons, and lifted drinking glasses conveyed a violent life.
• Despite minimal sailing experience, Stede Bonnet turned “Gentleman Pirate” to escape a bad marriage.
• Pirates didn’t usually make people walk the plank. They keelhauled or just threw them overboard instead!
• Each pirate ship lived by a code of conduct, such as “every man has a vote” and “injuries will be compensated.”
• Pirates wore earrings to commemorate travels, prevent seasickness, and pay for burials if on land.
• Pirates rarely buried their loot; they kept it on board and divided it up among the crew.
• Mary Read disguised herself as a man to become a soldier, merchant sailor, and pirate.
• Pirates often enjoyed better lives than did navy seamen and merchant marines.
• The wealthiest pirate in recorded history, “Black Sam” Bellamy, was known as the “Robin Hood of the Sea.”
• Pirates didn’t use treasure maps, but they did value (and steal) sailing charts.
