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History of Piracy
The History of Piracy dates back
more than 3000 years ago however the word 'Pirate' had various different meanings. The word 'Pirate' or 'Peirato' was first
used in about 140 BC by the Roman Historian Polybius but the oldest, clear definition of Piracy was written by the Greek Historian
Plutarch who, in 100Ad described 'pirates' who made attacks without legal authority not only on ships but also major cities. Piracy
was also mentioned in Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey yet for many years there was no clear definition of Piracy. In the 9th and 11th
Century AD Pirates were not considered as 'Pirates' but more often than not "Danes" or "Vikings". In Medieval England Pirates
were occasionally refered to as 'Sea Thieves'. The contemporary meaning of 'Pirate' is closely linked with the 18th Century
AD meaning of 'Outlaws who anyone could kill' and the first International Law was an Anti-Pirate Legislation as many pirate
acts were committed outside the borders of any country. Some Governments ave permission for sailors to become pirates in times
of war on behalf of their county and very often once the war was over the Pirates didn't want to go back to a life inside
the law.
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