Roman Pirates

[Capt. Morgan]

Here's an interesting link I found.

Roman Pirates

I for one will be closely watching as this story unfolds. History! Gotta love it...

[Captain Tito]

Aye Cap'n now that I think about it, though it be just a movie, they do make reference to that band of Pirates in Spartucus (with Kirk Douglas) when the slave army is trying to launch an escape/defense against the Roman armies out to get them.

[Mission]

"In spite of such protection as the fleets of [Roman politician Lucius Licinius] Lucullus could offer, the year 69 seems to have been an especially bad one in the Greek archipelago. In addition to the long list of towns and temples which had been sacked at various times, to that year can be assigned the over-running of Aegina [an island off the coast of Athens, Greece], and the second sack of Delos [another Island in Greece] by the pirate Athenodorus. All that Lucullus' officer, Triarius, could do was to repair the damage as best he might, and protect the island for the future with a wall. The miserable

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condition of the Cyclades [islands in the Aegean Sea] at this time is reflected by an inscription of Tenos, which portrays the island as ruined by the continual descents of the pirates and crushed by a load of debt.

The seas were now almost closed. Roman fleets dared not venture from Brundisium [brindisi, Italy] except in the depths of winter [when sea travel was very difficult]. Trade was at a standstill, and Rome itself was threatened with famine. It is scarcely to be wondered at if the business classes and people combined to demand that the extraordinary command against the pirates should be revived and conferred on the most capable general available." (Henry A. Ormerod, Piracy in the Ancient World, p 232-3)

[Mission]

"In order to enjoy the favours of the lady Nice in greater tranquility, [Gaius] Verres had given the command of the Silician squadron, previously commanded by the legatus [a general in the Roman army], to her husband Cleomenes of Syracuse....

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While the admiral [Verres] was drinking on shore, a pirate squadron was reported at the neighboring harbour of Odyssea, whereat the admiral hastily embarks, cuts his cables, and flies in the direction of Syracuse, ordering the rest of the squadron to follow. They do so as best they may, bt the two rearmost vessels are cut off by the pirates. At Helorus [in Sicily] the admiral leaves his ship, and the other captains run their own aground. The whole squadron was captured and burnt by Heracleo, the pirate leader, at nightfall, the flames of the burning ships giving the signal to Syracuse that pirates were off the coast.

When the news was received at Syracuse, a tumult nearly broke out against the governor, which was only prevented by the self-restraint of the citizens and presence of mind of the resident Romans. Immediate measures for defence are taken by the latter against the now imminent attack. Heracleo's four galleys, having passed the night at Helorus, sail on to Syracuse. They visit first the summer pavilion of Verres on the shore, but finding it empty, enter the harbour. As they cruise about at will, they throw on shore the palm roots which the starving sailors in the captured ships had gathered [previously to being captured], and finally retire unmolested 'overcome not by fear, but by boredom.'" (Henry A. Ormerod, Piracy in the Ancient World, p 229-30)

[Mission]

"To [Roman politician Lucius Licinius] Lucullus, indeed, belongs most of the credit for the later successes gained by [Roman General Gnaeus] Pompeius against both the pirates and Mithradates [King of Pontus (a state of Persia) and Armenia Minor in northern Anatolia or Turkey]. His victories over Mithradates at sea prepared the way for the subjugation of the pirates no less than his successes on land broke the king's power. In the meantime, however, the power of the Cilicians was untouched... although deprived of the active assistance of Mithradates since the close of the first war, had extended their raids over the whole of the Mediterranean.

Their elaborate organization, of which there are already traces in the first Mithradatic war, had by this time been brought to a high state of perfection. The miseries entailed by the constant wars in which Rome was engaged had added greatly to their numbers, which are given as many tens of thousands. Ruined men, who 'preferred to act rather than to suffer' flocked to them [the pirates] from all quarters, especially from the East. No doubt the refugees provided them with many of their boldest leaders, men who knew the more distant coasts and could lead profitable raids, like the Christian

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raids of a later date.

...they kept their arsenals manned with captives, who were chained to their tasks, and vast quantities of naval stores and munitions were captured by the Romans after the fall of Coracesium [Now Alanya - in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey]. The pirate ships are said to have numbered more than a thousand, and were richly adorned with gold, silver and purple.

They were giving up lighter craft - hemioliae and myoparones [both small, light, fast vessels] - and building biremes and triremes; they sailed in organized squadrons commanded by admirals, disdaining the name of pirates, and dignifying the proceeds of their raids as pay. the closest connection was maintained between the pirate bands all over the Mediterranean, money and reinforcements being sent as required. Their seamanship enabled them to keep the seas even

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in winter and the swiftness of their vessels to avoid capture when pursued.

(A Greek trireme)

Although Cilicia still remained their headquarters, pirates by this time swarmed on all the coasts of the Mediterranean, possessing everywhere fortified bases and watch-towers, and carrying out their raids on all sides. They were ready at all times to render assistance to the enemies or Rome. Already in the year 81 a squadron of Cilicians had helped [Quintus] Sertorius [a Roman who fought against Rome] to capture the Pityussae islands in the Balearic group [off Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the Iberian Peninsula].

A Cilician fleet in the year 70 B.C. agreed with Spartacus to transport 2,000 of his men to Sicily, in order to raise a new rebellion of slaves in the island. The Cilicians, however, after receiving his gifts, played him false. [Pirate.]

In the Black Sea pirate vessels remained, as we have seen, the Mithradates after the defeat of his fleet in the Aegean, and Cilicians formed the main part of the garrison of Sinope [Sinop, Turkey]. Before its surrender they burnt the town and made their escape by night; Lucullus, however, succeeded in capturing some 8,000 of them. The Cilicians who were put to death in Crete by Metellus [Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus] had probably found their way there as allies of the Cretans." (Ormerod, p 221-3)

[Mission]

"There was not question of Metellus [Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus] attempted to reduce the Cilician coast until the rest of the Mediterranean had been cleared, and the commander-in-chief himself should arrive in Cilician waters. It was Metellus' business to patrol the Levant [Eastern Mediterranean between Anatolia and Egypt] and engage the pirates as they issued from or sought to retire to their Cilician fastnesses [strongholds/fortresses. Fastnesses is a cool word, though.]

Simultaneous attacks were to be opened by the legati [generals in the Roman army] on all the pirates' strong points and anchorages throughout the Mediterranean, and a cordon drawn round each group.Concerted action of this character would frustrate their known tactics of sending reinfrocements to any of their brethren who were threatened. The pirates in Cilicia would be effectually blockaded by Metellus, and any that were able to evade him would fall in thei [Terentius] Varro's patrols, if they attempted to seek the West. [Gnaeus] Pompeius himself

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commanded a mobile force of sixty ships, which was first to sweep the western seas, driving the pirates on to the stationary forces already assembled, or if they fled eastward, into the squadrons of Varro and Mettalus.

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus [Pompey]

The pirates were taken by surprise owing to the rapidity of the Roman movements, operations beginning at the earliest possible season. In alarm, they fled to their accustomed headlands and anchorages, where they were reduced according to plan by the legati. Pompeius thus cleared the west in forty days. We hear of his presence in Sicily, Africa, and Sardinia, and it is probably that he visited the coast of Gaul, where his officer Pomponius [Titus Pomponius Atticus] was experiencing trouble from the consul of [Gaius Calpurnius] Piso, governor designate of Gallia Narbonensis [modern southern France]. Piso had carried his feud with Pompeius as far as a petty attempt to thwart a subordinate in the raising of troops. At the end of forty days Pompeius returned, by way of Etruria [central Italy], to Rome, where the consul's activities necessitated his presence, but having obtained through his agent [Aulus] Gabinius pledges for good behaviour, he sailed once more from Brundisium [Brindisi, Italy]." (Henry A. Ormerod, Piracy in the Ancient World, p 238-9)