Piracy under Roman Rule
The maritime power of Grecian city-states underwent social and economic declines and resurgences over the last of the ancient centuries, until the Romans finally conquered Greece in 146 B.C. Although Rome's military muscle and political control became dominant in the Mediterranean, Romans relied heavily on the traditional merchant marine trade of coastal countries and provinces surrounding the area. Unfortunately for Rome, relying on traditional marine traffic for commerce and travel would also include fighting the pirates who hounded it.
Roman conquest and the relative stability it brought to the Mediterranean generated a brand new aspect to the marine trade as tourists and passengers began exploring the known world. Businessmen, students, sightseers, public servants, and Romans on vacation began traveling to Mediterranean ports in large numbers, and pirates took notice. Pirates in the Mediterranean were quick to recognize the value of passenger traffic, and prizes from captured ships would soon include captives who were ransomed for handsome profits.
Cilician Stronghold
On the southern shores of what is now Turkey, Mediterranean pirates found the perfect political and economic climate for plying their trade. Cilicia was a rugged, inaccessible, and undeveloped territory that had managed to operate independently from earlier Persian conquests, and continued to do so under Roman rule. Provincial governors often viewed piracy as an integral part of the seafaring trade, and turned a blind eye as long as they collected a share of the spoils.
The Ransom of Julius Caesar
The Greek historian Plutarch recorded that around 75 B.C., Julius Caesar, who at the time was a law student in his early twenties, was captured by Cilician pirates near the port of Miletus, a port city that still exists on the western coast of what is now Turkey. Caesar was apparently highly contemptuous of his captors, and increased the ransom they asked for him of his own accord. Over a month passed before the ransom was paid, and as soon as Caesar was released, he hired ships and soldiers and immediately set sail to hunt down the pirates who'd kidnapped him.
According to Plutarch, Caesar took the pirates to the city of Pergamum and imprisoned them. Caesar then approached Junius, the Roman governor of Asia, and demanded that the scoundrels be severely dealt with. For the Roman authorities, a handful of pirates was hardly cause for concern, and it's likely that Junius would have accepted a ransom from the pirates themselves and gladly released them to go back about their business. Annoyed at Junius' lack of outrage, Caesar returned to Pergamum and crucified the pirates himself. During his captivity, Caesar had promised the pirates that he would find them and kill them, but as the story goes, they mistakenly assumed he knew that kidnap and ransom was all simply an everyday business transaction and didn't take him seriously.
There are many versions of the story of Julius Caesar and his capture and execution of the pirates who had taken him. One of the most colorful tales relates that Caesar took pity on his former captors because of their kindness toward him during his confinement. To save them the slow, painful death of crucifixion, he ordered their throats to be slit, and
While Caesar's plight is the stuff of legend, and is probably partially fanciful, it does contain enough fact to illustrate the lack of provincial concern for piracy in the Mediterranean and the growing threat to the security of Roman citizens and Roman trade interests. The fiercely independent Cilicians prowled the Mediterranean coastline, attacking and capturing merchant ships at every opportunity and taking cargo and wealthy hostages for ransom. As the boldness and activity of the pirates gained momentum, the Romans were forced into serious military reprisals.
