A parrot, a boarding saber, a constant pipe in his mouth and a goblet with rum in his hand - a seasoned pirate, a thunderstorm of the oceans and port taverns, as if alive, rises before our eyes. The controversial image has come down through the centuries, so it's hard to figure out what the pirates really were: greedy, ruthless killers or generous, always drunk romantics?
Instructions
Step 1
The origins of piracy
The image of a pirate, as he appears to the modern man in the street, has developed in relation to sea robbers of the 12-19 centuries. However, pirates have existed before. It can be safely assumed that with the advent of sea trade, the first seekers of fortune, robbing merchant ships and boats, appeared on the open spaces of the sea. The most publicized of these are the Vikings - tough bearded men with axes. But this does not diminish the cruelty of the rest of the pirates of the ancient and pre-antique period.
Step 2
Pirates and corsairs
What is the difference between a pirate and a corsair, it seems? Huge and insignificant at the same time. The pirate plunders everything that appears along the course of his brig or corvette, and stores all the loot in chests. Everything accumulated is either traditionally buried on the lost islands, or is drunk in taverns. The corsair, bound by obligations with the state that gave him a license to robbery, must give him all the loot. At the same time, he can only board ships that sail under the flag of enemy states. It would seem that the difference is huge, but in practice the corsairs were not much different from the "noble" pirates. They could also rob a ship under their own flag - the state that issued the license could keep the profit for themselves.
Step 3
Pirates had many self-names. Buccaneers are rumored to be free pirates of the Caribbean, a thunderstorm on the coast of both the northern and southern American continents. French filibusters are exquisitely mannered assassins who plundered across the Atlantic. In the Russian territories - throughout the basin of the Volga River - in the 16th century the so-called ushkuyniki, Novgorod river pirates, hunted.
Step 4
Corsairs include privateers and privateers who flew under the flag of English, Spanish and French. The Berber corsairs are known for their cruelty. In those turbulent times, when rich countries were dividing the sea and new colonies in endless wars, privateers were forced to participate in sea battles along with allied warships.
Step 5
Everyone decides who the pirates are for him (from the Latin "pirate" - to seek, acquire). But do not assume that the robbery sea trade is forgotten. Suffice it to recall the Somali pirates who put the seizure and robbery of merchant ships on stream. Basically, the "gentlemen of fortune" hijack ships in order to obtain a ransom, the amount of which averages about 4 million US dollars per ship.
