Pirates are sea robbers who prey on other ships and steal their goods and sometimes capture the ship itself for their own purposes. Piracy began more than 2,000 years ago in ancient Greece, when seafaring thieves threatened the trade routes of the Greek Empire. Since then, this threat continued among maritime nations until the birth of regular navies. Roman ships were attacked by pirates who seized their cargoes of grain and olive oil. The Vikings (meaning sea raiders) were notorious for raiding ships and coastal settlements. However, piracy truly flourished between 1620 and 1720, and this period is known as the Golden Age of Piracy. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, there were different types of pirates, namely privateers, buccaneers and corsairs. In ancient Greece, where piracy originated, the coast of the Mediterranean Sea was unsuitable for agriculture, forcing people to seek out pirates. a new source of food and other valuable goods. The answer lay in the coves crisscrossed along the Greek coast, where groups of bandits hid in canoes and ambushed posh ships traveling along the trade routes. These early marauders attacked anyone, regardless of their nationality, and had to be loyal to know one. Due to their roots in land raiding, they were known to also attack Greek coastal cities, leading some of these cities to settle further inland to eliminate the pirates' main source of power , their speed and their mountainous terrain. This caused the raiders to remain primarily involved in nautical affairs. Over the centuries, pirates have terrorized much of the Middle East and Europe, in countries like Scandinavia and Rome. Around 80 BC ports around Rome and Greece began to show interest in pira...... middle of paper ...... and Bartholomew Roberts was captured by the British navy and executed or killed in fight. Captain Chaloner Ogle of HMS Swallow pinned Bartholomew Roberts in 1722 at Cape Lopez, and a fatal broadside from Swallow killed the pirate captain instantly. This shocked all the pirates as well as the navy because he was thought to be invincible. This event triggered the collapse of the "Golden Age of Piracy." Since around the 19th century, piracy has declined from grand tales of grandeur and adventure, turning instead to small-time, grubby African pirates holding up cargo ships on trade routes. In conclusion, even though the golden age of piracy has ended, the legendary stories of famous, ruthless and cunning pirates still live on in films and books reminding us of times when it was impossible to go swimming without being kidnapped or hanged. to the yard of a ship!