PIRACY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD AN ESSAY IN MEDITERRANEAN HISTORY HENRY A. ORMEROD, M.A. Professor of Greek in the University of Leeds Els ‘ Ρόδον fi irXeiATfi ris Ό\νμπικί>ν ffKOev Τρωτών t&v μάντιν, καί πωί πλίώτίται άσφαλέως. Χώ μάι>Tis, Πρώτον μ ίν, ΐφ-η, Καινην ί χ ΐ την ναΰν καί μη χαμω νο; τοΰ δί θέρους iv iy o v . ToDro yap &ν iroirjs, ή ζα s κάκΐΐσΐ καί <I>oC, &ν μη iretpaτήί (ν π ίλά γίΐ <Τΐ λάβϊΐ- Antb. Pal, ri, it i. LIVERPOOL THE UNIVERSITY PRESS OF LIVERPOOL LTD. LONDON HODDER AND STOUGHTON LTD. Made Mi Printed in Great Britain by C. TINLING St CO., Ltd., fj Victoria Street, Liverpool, and at London and Prcicot T h e present work has grown out of a lecture delivered in Liverpool and published in The Annals of Archaeology and Anthropology, vol. V III (1921). The subject seemed to be of sufficient interest to warrant a larger essay. Sestier’s book, La Piraterie dans VAntiquite (Paris, 1880), still remains the largest treatise on the subject, but is uncritical and contains many inaccuracies. Of other works, Lecrivain’s article, Pirata, in Daremberg and Saglio, is an admirable collection of sources, which is supplemented by Kroll’s Seeraub in Pauly-Wissowa. The best study of the subject is that by Paul Stein, Ueber Piraterie im Altertum (Cöthen, 1891), and Zur Geschichte der Piraterie im Altertum (Bernburg, 1894), which forms the second part. Both these articles were difficult to obtain, but contain an extremely valuable discussion of the evidence. A paper by Miss Churchill Semple, Pirate Coasts of the Mediterranean Sea {The Geographical Review, August, 1916) is a general study of piracy in the Mediterranean from the point of view of the geographer. I have failed to obtain a copy of a dissertation by Herold (Erlangen, 1914). M y own interest in the ancient pirates goes (jack to the Rev. E. M . Walker’s lectures in Oxford, and to the chapters in Berard’s Les Pheniciens et VOdyssee, which first showed me how the subject should be approached. Made aad Printed in Great Britain by C. TINLING & CO., Ltd., S) Victoria Street, Liverpool, and at London and Prescot T he present work has grown out of a lecture delivered in Liverpool and published in The Annals of ArChaeology and Anthropology, vol. VIII (1921). The subject seemed to be of sufficient interest to warrant a larger essay. Sestier’s book, La Piraterie dans VAntiquite (Paris, 1880), still remains the largest treatise on the subject, but is uncritical and contains many inaccuracies. Of other works, Lecrivain’s article, Pirata, in Daremberg and Saglio, is an admirable collection of sources, which is supplemented by Kroll’s Seeraub in Pauly-Wissowa. The best study of the subject is that by Paul Stein, Ueber Piraterie im Altertum (Cöthen, 1891), and Zur GesChiChte der Piraterie im Altertum (Bernburg, 1894), which forms the second part. Both these articles were difficult to obtain, but contain an extremely valuable discussion of the evidence. A paper by Miss Churchill Semple, Pirate Coasts of the Mediterranean Sea {The GeographiCal Review, August, 1916) is a general study of piracy in the Mediterranean from the point of view of the geographer. I have failed to obtain a copy of a dissertation by Herold (Erlangen, 1914). My own interest in the ancient pirates goes back to the Rev. E. M. Walker’s lectures in Oxford, and to the chapters in Β έ^ ^ ’β Les PheniCiens et VOdyssee, which first showed me how the subject should be approached. My obligations to friends, with whom I have discussed problems arising in the book, are great. Professor ]. D. I. Hughes has been kind enough to read the second chapter in proof, and has rescued me from many pitfalls of the law. My greatest debt is to Professor W. R. Halliday, who has read the whole book in proof. It was largely- owing to his help and encouragement that the book came to be written, and he has generously placed at my disposal a great deal of information that he had himself collected. My debt to Mr. M. N. Tod is also a large one. If the collection of epigraphical material is in any way complete, it is entirely due to the notes which he has sent me. Miss Muriel Joynt, B.A., has given me valuable help in preparing the book for press. The preparation of the maps was under­ taken by Mr. A. J. Sifton, F.R.G.S. Leeds, Ju ly , 1924. PREFACE 7 CHAPTER I. DEPREDATIONS COMMITTED ON THE SEAS .... 13 Prevalence of piracy in the Mediterranean— geographical considerations—character of early navigation—the pirate’s routine and tactics—threat to the sea routes—his favourite lurking-grounds— small islands and rocks off the coast and in the channels—promontories—character of pirate boats— their small size and shallow draft—the hemiolia and myoparo—seamanship of the pirate—raids on shore—kidnapping of individuals—ransoming of captives—collusion with the authorities—ruses adopted on shore and in port—raids in force— methods of protection adopted by the inhabitants— desertion of the coast—synoiCismos and the fortifica­ tion of villages—the towers in the Greek islands— flares and warning beacons—the peripolia—the effects of pirate raids and their general character—the raids of the Odyssey—the pirate’s life at sea— superstition—punishments inflicted on captured pirates. A ppe n d ix A . Fortified villages in the Greek islands ...... 5^ CHAPTER II. PIRACY, PRIVATEERING AND R E P R I S A L S .........................................59 The origin of the word pirate—piracy in law— difficulty of distinguishing piracy in antiquity from other forms of violence at sea—privateering and reprisals—ambiguity of ancient terminology— primitive attitude towards piracy—Thucydides’ account of the early Greeks—piracy and brigandage a form of production—wrecking—Nauplius the 9 primitive seaman—piracy and war—cattle-raiding and reprisals—traces of early conventions against piracy. A ppen d ix B. The voyage of Wen-Amon . 74. A ppe n d ix C. The convention between Oeantheia and Chaleion. 76 A p pe n d ix D. Nauplius .... 77 CHAPTER III. THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN TO THE PERSIAN WARS . 80 The thalassocracy of Minos—Thucydides’ account of Cretan police—piracy on the southern coasts of Asia Minor—The Lukki of the Tell-el-Amarna letters—the sea-raiders in the Egyptian records— many of the raiders drawn from Asia Minor, with Aegean peoples participating—echoes of these raids in the Homeric poems—resemblance to the move­ ments of the third century after Christ—both foreshadow the great migrations. Greek marauders in the Levant—voyages to the West—the character of early Greek commercial ventures—growth of a higher morality—the influence of Delphi and the religious leagues—the continuance of piracy fostered by commercial rivalries—Samos— trading leagues—the effects of the Persian advance— migrations to the West and confusion in the Aegean. CHAPTER IV. THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN FROM 480 TO 200 B.C. Io8 The police measures undertaken by the Athenians— the effects of the Peloponnesian war—privateering on both sides—serious outbreak of piracy after the war—the second Athenian confederacy—Athenian claims to be the guardian of the seas during the fourth century—the effects of the Social and Macedonian wars—conduct of the belligerents— conditions in the eastern Mediterranean during Alexander’s war with Persia—his attempt to clear the seas—conditions after Alexander—pirates and mer­ cenaries—Italian marauders in the Aegean—the Ptolemaic suzerainty and the League of Islanders— conditions in the Aegean after the withdrawal of the Egyptians—the work done by the Rhodians— conduct of the Aetolians—Cretans—Philip V and Crete—the entry of Rome into the Macedonian war. CHAPTER V. THE WESTERN SEAS, THE ADRIATIC AND ROME . .151 Meagreness of our records—Greek settlers in the West—Tyrrhenian pirates—early struggles between the Greeks and Etruscans—the rise of Carthage and the commercial policy of the Carthaginians— buccaneering in the West—the Phocaeans—the Cnidian and Rhodian settlers in the Lipari islands— Syracusan wars with the Etruscans in the fifth century—Dionysius’ control of the Tuscan sea— Greek and Italian piracies on the coast of Latium— the rise of Rome—police measures adopted on the Italian coasts—growth of the Roman fleet—Roman responsibilities after the Punic wars—the piracies of the Ligurians—the Ligurian wars—character of the Ligurian problem—the Baleares. The Adriatic—dangers of the Illyrian and Dalmatian coasts—Dionysius’ attempt to control the Adriatic—the kingdom of Agron and Teuta— Illyrian piracies and tactics—the first Illyrian war— Demetrius of Pharos and Scerdilaidas—the second Illyrian war—the character of the settlement after the two wars—Scerdilaidas and Pinnes—the impor­ tance of Illyria during the second Punic war and in the wars with Macedonia—the Istrian war— Genthius of Illyria and the third Macedonian war— Dalmatia and the northern Adriatic—general character of the Roman measures against piracy in the West. Roman negligence in the East—Rhodes and Crete in the second century. CHAPTER VI. THE PIRATES OF CILICIA . 19° The Taurus range and its inhabitants—the pirates’ home in Cilicia Tracheia—Seleucid and Ptolemaic primitive seaman—piracy and war—cattle-raiding and reprisals—traces of early conventions against piracy. A p pe n d ix B. The voyage of Wen-Amon . 74 A ppe n d ix C. The convention between Oeantheia and Chaleion. 76 A ppe n d ix D. Nauplius .... 77 CHAPTER III. THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN TO THE PERSIAN WARS . 80 The thalassocracy of Minos—Thucydides’ account of Cretan police—piracy on the southern coasts of Asia Minor—The Lukki of the Tell-el-Amarna letters—the sea-raiders in the Egyptian records— many of the raiders drawn from Asia Minor, with Aegean peoples participating—echoes of these raids in the Homeric poems—resemblance to the move­ ments of the third century after Christ—both foreshadow the great migrations.