Popular culture, classic literature, and film have done much to sensationalize the life of a pirate, but in truth, a rogue's lifestyle and existence aboard a pirate ship was anything but glamorous. The image of a dashing captain dressed in flowing attire overseeing a crew of swashbuckling sailors belies the actuality of true piracy. Life aboard a pirate vessel was hard, and much like naval ships, pirates had codes they followed. When ashore, pirates were traditionally distracted by all manner of drunken debauchery, behavior that has become legendary in the chronicles of these seafaring rogues.