Most of us have read about pirates in fantasy books and there have been many popular pirate characters in literature. Our knowledge about pirates have been passed down to us through stories told by seafarers and scraps of historical records, art and movies. Pirates originated in Tortuga around the 17th century as hunters, but came to be known as "pirates" when the government officials started paying groups of men to attack and loot Spanish ships. However, after a while, the raids got out of control and the buccaneers began attacking any ship which carried rich cargo. Piracy flourished in the Caribbean because of the existence of pirate seaports such as Port Royal in Jamaica, Tortuga in Haiti, and Nassau in the Bahamas. The earliest documented instances of piracy are the exploits of the Sea People (a seafaring confederation) who threatened the ships sailing in the Aegean and Mediterranean waters during the 14th century BC. In classical antiquity, the Phoenicians, Illyrians and Tyrrhenians were known as pirates. Pirates have existed since ancient times. They threatened the trading routes of ancient Greece, and seized cargoes of grain and olive oil from Roman ships. The most dangerous and popular pirates during the early medieval times in Europe were the Vikings. The 8 real life Pirates who Roved the high seas were, the Barbarossa Brothers, Sir Francis Drake, L’Olonnais, Henry Morgan, Captain Kidd, Blackbeard, Calico Jack and Madame Cheng.

Well, we all wonder, how one becomes a pirate? In the ancient times, the majority of the pirates came from poverty-stricken families. Some were born into a life of privilege but the call of the sea and the treasures that it held tempted them strongly, thereby alluring and compelling them to leave the comfort of their home. Often pirates started out as young sailors who quickly learned that stealing was the easiest and quickest way to make a living. That was how pirates were made and piracy became a very dangerous threat to seafarers all over the world. Sometimes people were captured during raids or battles and they were forced to work on the pirate ship as slaves. The period between the 1660s and the 1730s can be said to be the golden era of pirates.  It was during this period that piracy became the most successful. 

Pirates actually existed back then and although it might be hard to believe, they are still found in some parts of the world. But they don't look the same as they looked in ancient times.  Modern-day pirates come from all over the world, scouring the waters of the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, South America and the coasts of Africa. They cover up their faces with masks, dress up differently than the usual people and are often very aggressive. They carry guns, knives or machetes and brutally attack the ship’s crew. There are two types of modern pirates in existence today: small-time pirates and organizations of pirates. According to long time professional seafarers, once a ship is attacked by pirates, the best way to handle them is to give them what they want and stand back till they leave the ship because pirates can be very dangerous and merciless.