Cilician pirates facts for kids

The Cilician pirates were a powerful group of pirates who controlled the Mediterranean Sea. They were active from about 200 BC until they were defeated by the Roman general Pompey in 66 BC. These pirates were called "Cilician" because their main hideouts were in Cilicia. This region is on the southern coast of Asia Minor, which is modern-day Turkey.

Why Piracy Grew So Much

After powerful empires like Carthage, the Seleucid Empire, and Ptolemaic Egypt became weaker, there was no strong navy left to patrol the Mediterranean Sea. Rome was a major power, but its navy was small. Rome mostly protected the seas close to Italy, like the Tyrrhenian Sea and Adriatic Sea.

This lack of strong navies allowed pirates to become very organized. Smaller towns and communities that couldn't defend themselves had to make deals with the pirates. Some even became safe havens for them.

Crete was one of the main pirate hideouts. It was independent and had many natural harbours. Civil wars on the island also pushed many people into piracy.

Cilicia was another major pirate stronghold. It had great natural harbours that were easy to defend. The Seleucid Empire, which ruled parts of Cilicia, was too weak to stop them. Some rulers even supported the pirates to gain power.

Around 140 BC, Rome sent a general named Scipio Aemilianus to check on the situation. He reported that local governments were too weak or unwilling to deal with the pirates. At this time, Rome didn't want to spend the effort to stop them. This was partly because pirates supplied Rome with cheap slaves.

So, the pirates became the strongest naval force in the Eastern Mediterranean. They soon had bases all over the sea.

Over the years, the piracy problem got much worse. Pirates worked together in large groups with big fleets. Many people who had lost their homes in wars joined them. Pirates were harder to catch than land bandits. They attacked coastal towns and farms. Rome suffered from food shortages because trade was disrupted.

Even Ostia, Rome's port, was attacked. Ships were burned, and towns were robbed. Pirates even kidnapped important Romans and demanded huge ransoms.

The Third Mithridatic War (73–63 BC) against King Mithridates VI of Pontus made the pirates even bolder. Some historians believe Mithridates encouraged piracy to weaken Rome. Also, during Rome's own civil wars, the seas were left unguarded. This gave pirates the confidence to attack islands and cities, not just ships.

Piracy spread from Cilicia across the entire Mediterranean. It became very dangerous to sail, which stopped trade and caused food shortages. Some pirates became very rich and powerful. They had over 1,000 ships and captured 400 towns. They even robbed temples in Greece.

Pirates and the Slave Trade

One of the main ways pirates made money was by selling people into slavery. Rome's economy depended heavily on slaves, especially for large farms called plantations. When Rome wasn't at war, pirates became the main source of new slaves. This meant that powerful business groups in Rome didn't want to stop the pirates.

The island of Delos became the biggest slave market in the Mediterranean. Other markets were in Rhodes and Alexandria. At its busiest, 10,000 slaves could be sold in Delos in a single day.

Rome Fights Back

By the 1st century BC, the pirates were a huge problem for Mediterranean trade. They even attacked towns in Italy. Rome launched three main campaigns against them. The first was led by Marcus Antonius Creticus in 102 BC, and the second by Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus from 78–74 BC. The pirates regrouped after these, so a third campaign by Pompey in 66 BC finally ended their power.

Marcus Antonius' Campaign (102 BC)

In 102 BC, Rome sent Marcus Antonius with an army and fleet to Cilicia. The pirates couldn't stand against this attack and fled. Antonius declared victory and was honored in Rome. However, the pirates simply regrouped on Crete and soon returned to their old bases in Cilicia. Rome then ignored the problem for over twenty years.

Publius Servilius' Campaign (78–74 BC)

In 79 BC, Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus was given command to fight the pirates in Cilicia. From 78 to 74 BC, he led naval and land attacks against pirate bases. He won some battles and was honored, but his campaign only provided a temporary break. After he left, the pirate problem quickly returned.

Pompey's Campaign (66 BC)

In 68 BC, pirates launched a bold raid on Ostia, Rome's port, which was only fifteen miles from the city. They sailed into the harbour and burned Rome's war fleet. This made food shortages in Rome even worse. Starving citizens demanded action.

After much debate, Pompey was given special powers to get rid of the Cilician pirates. He planned his attack in two stages. First, he would clear the western Mediterranean. Then, he would trap and defeat the pirates in the eastern Mediterranean.

Clearing the West

Pompey divided the Mediterranean Sea into thirteen areas. He assigned a fleet and a commander to each area. Pompey then swept through the western Mediterranean with his own powerful fleet. He drove the pirates out or into the paths of his other commanders.

By watching all the sea at once, pirates had nowhere to hide. Any pirates who escaped fled to the eastern Mediterranean. Pompey finished this first part of his campaign in just 40 days.

Attacking the East

Next, Pompey turned to the eastern Mediterranean. He offered good terms to pirates who surrendered to him personally. Many pirates gave up their ships, families, and themselves to Pompey. From them, he learned where other pirates were hiding.

Many pirates retreated to their strongholds in Asia Minor. At Coracesium, Pompey won a major victory and surrounded the town. The Cilician pirates surrendered all their harbours and fortified islands.

A New Home for Pirates

The Romans took the wealth the pirates had collected. They also freed many prisoners whom the pirates had planned to ransom. However, other prisoners were still sold into slavery.

Pompey chose to spare the lives of many captured Cilician pirates. He understood that some had become pirates out of desperation. Those who surrendered were settled in different parts of the southern coast of Asia Minor, where there weren't many people. Many were settled at Soli, which was later renamed Pompeiopolis. Other new settlements were created in Cilicia.

Famous Encounters with Pirates

Quintus Sertorius

When Quintus Sertorius, a Roman general who had rebelled against Rome, was driven from Hispania (modern-day Spain), he joined forces with Cilician pirates. Together, they captured Pityussa, an island they used as a base. A Roman governor sent a fleet and an army, driving Sertorius and the pirates away.

Julius Caesar

In 75 BC, pirates captured Julius Caesar while he was sailing to study in Greece. They demanded a ransom of 20 talents. Caesar felt insulted by this low amount and insisted they ask for 50 talents, which was more fitting for his status! His friends quickly raised the money.

While held captive, Caesar joked that he would crucify the pirates once he was free. The pirates thought he was kidding. After he was released, Caesar gathered a small army and fleet. He found the pirates, captured them, and then crucified them, just as he had promised.

Spartacus

During the famous slave rebellion led by Spartacus, he tried to make a deal with the Cilician pirates. He hoped they would help him smuggle his rebel forces across to Sicily. However, in 71 BC, the pirates abandoned Spartacus, and he had to give up his plan to cross the sea.

Publius Clodius

In 67 BC, Publius Clodius Pulcher, a Roman official, was sent to patrol the coast of Cilicia. But while on patrol, he was captured by the very pirates he was supposed to hunt down! Clodius promised his captors a large reward for his release. They asked for a ransom from Ptolemy of Cyprus, a Roman ally. The amount offered was so small that the pirates found it funny. They realized Clodius had greatly overestimated his own importance, but they released him anyway.

Pirate Culture

Historians like Plutarch wrote about some interesting customs of the Cilician pirates. If a prisoner claimed to be Roman, the pirates would pretend to be scared and beg for mercy. If the prisoner believed their act, the pirates would dress him in Greek shoes and a toga. Then, after mocking him, they would lower a ladder into the sea. They would wish him a "good journey" and invite him to step off. If he refused, they would push him overboard.

Plutarch also said that the Cilician pirates were the first to celebrate the mysteries of Mithras, a special religion. When Pompey resettled some of them in Italy, they might have brought this religion with them. This could have helped the religion spread in the Roman Empire later on.

See also

• Thalassocracy