Pirates: the sea robbers and the real story
Simply speaking, Pirates were robbers who used to loot mostly at sea, or sometimes in cities near the shore, without authority from any nation, and without a uniform style of dress. Most of us have a very romantic notion of pirates as - rich, rebellious and interesting, operating outside the rules of a rigid society.
Actually, most of the pirates were poor and unhealthy, and died young. Their work was hard and dangerous - they had to fight, loot and maintain a ship that was usually old. Their riches were largely spent in taverns, sometimes even in a single night. Some pirates buried their treasure, but unfortunately died before they could come back for it.
The vision of the appearance of pirates we all generally have is that of a villain with an eye patch, a steel hook for a hand or wooden leg, drunk and shouting – ‘Shiver me timbers’ or the like.