Pirates have plagued the seas for millennia. In ancient times, the Romans had to fight numerous pirate fleets that raided the Mediterranean. In particular, the Illyrians from the present-day Balkan countries were considered particularly dangerous and around 200 BC. the Romans attacked Illyria many times to stop the pirates.
This was not enough, however, and in 75 BC Caesar himself was taken hostage by a group of pirates. He was released on a high ransom. A few years later, the Senate gave General Pompey unlimited permission to destroy them – and he largely succeeded.
The British had enough of pirates
The golden age of piracy did not take place in the Mediterranean, however, on the other side of the world. Until the mid-seventeenth century, pirates ruled the Caribbean, attacking colonial ships laden with gold and jewels.
Many pirates were supported by European powers who used the pirates to disrupt their opponents’ trade routes. But by the beginning of the 18th century, the British had had enough of their mischief, and The Royal Navy was sent to destroy them.
Piracy is still practiced today all over the world – for example in the Red Sea – where pirates use, among other things, mobile phones, fast motorboats and machine guns. They often face strong resistance – for example, the Danish frigate Esbern Snare managed to repel a pirate attack in November 2021 off the coast of Nigeria.
