The peak of maritime robbery occurred in the 17th century, when the oceans were the scene of struggle between Spain, England, and several other rising European colonial powers. Most often, pirates made their living through independent criminal plunder, but some worked for governments and deliberately harmed foreign fleets. Below is a list of the ten most notorious pirates in history.
1. William Kidd
William Kidd (January 22, 1645 – May 23, 1701) was a Scottish sailor who was convicted and executed for piracy after returning from a voyage to the Indian Ocean, where he was supposed to hunt pirates. He is considered one of the most brutal and bloodthirsty sea robbers of the seventeenth century and the subject of many mysterious tales. Some modern historians, such as Sir Cornelius Neale Dalton, consider his pirate reputation unfair.
2. Bartholomew Roberts
Bartholomew Roberts (May 17, 1682 – February 17, 1722) was a Welsh pirate who plundered approximately 200 ships (or 400, according to other sources) in the area of Barbados and Martinique over a period of two and a half years. He is best known for his antithesis to the traditional image of a pirate. He was always well dressed, had refined manners, hated drunkenness and gambling, and treated the crews of the ships he captured kindly. He was killed by cannon fire during a battle with a British warship.
3. Blackbeard
Blackbeard, or Edward Teach (1680 – November 22, 1718), was an English pirate who operated in the Caribbean from 1716 to 1718. He enjoyed instilling terror in his enemies. During battle, Teach would braid flaming fuses into his beard and, like Satan from hell, charge into enemy lines in clouds of smoke. His unusual appearance and eccentric behavior have made him one of the most famous pirates, despite his relatively short career and the scale of his operations being considerably smaller than those of his peers on this list.
4. Jack Rackham
Jack Rackham (December 21, 1682 – November 17, 1720) was an English pirate, famous primarily for the fact that his crew included two equally famous corsairs, the female pirates Anne Bonny, nicknamed "Mistress of the Seas," and Mary Read.
5. Charles Vane
Charles Vane (1680 – March 29, 1721) was an English pirate who plundered ships from 1716 to 1721 in North American waters. He became renowned for his extreme cruelty. As history tells it, Vane was devoid of compassion, pity, and empathy; he readily broke his own promises, disrespected fellow pirates, and paid no attention to anyone's opinions. His only goal in life was the spoils of war.
6. Edward England
Edward England (1685–1721) was a pirate who operated off the coast of Africa and in the Indian Ocean from 1717 to 1720. He distinguished himself from other pirates of the time by not killing prisoners unless absolutely necessary. This ultimately led to his crew mutiny when he refused to kill sailors from yet another captured English merchant ship. England was subsequently marooned in Madagascar, where he survived for a time by begging and eventually died.
7. Samuel Bellamy
Samuel Bellamy, nicknamed Black Sam (February 23, 1689 – April 26, 1717), was a great English sailor and pirate active in the early 18th century. Although his career lasted just over a year, he and his crew captured at least 53 ships, making Black Sam the richest pirate in history. Bellamy was also known for his mercy and generosity toward those he captured in his raids.
8. Saida al-Hurra
Sayyida al-Hurra (1485 – c. July 14, 1561) was the last queen of Tetouan, Morocco, reigning between 1512 and 1542. She was a pirate. In alliance with the Ottoman corsair Aruj Barbarossa of Algiers, al-Hurra controlled the Mediterranean Sea. She became famous for her struggle against the Portuguese. She is rightfully considered one of the most outstanding women in the Islamic West of the modern era. The date and exact circumstances of her death are unknown.
9. Thomas Tew
Thomas Tew (1649 – September 1695) was an English privateer and pirate who completed only two major piratical voyages, a route later known as the "Pirate Round." He was killed in 1695 while attempting to rob the Mughal ship Fateh Muhammad.
10. Stede Bonnet
Stede Bonnet (1688 – December 10, 1718) was a prominent English pirate, nicknamed "the pirate gentleman." Interestingly, before turning to piracy, Bonnet was a wealthy, educated, and respected man, owning a plantation in Barbados.
11. Madame Shi
Madam Shi, or Lady Zheng, was one of the world's most famous female pirates. After her husband's death, she inherited his pirate fleet and established maritime piracy on a grand scale. She commanded two thousand ships and seventy thousand men. She managed this entire army through strict discipline. For example, anyone who left their ship without leave would lose an ear. Not all of Madam Shi's subordinates were happy with this state of affairs, and one of the captains even mutinied and defected to the authorities. After Madam Shi's power was weakened, she agreed to a truce with the emperor and subsequently lived to a ripe old age in freedom, running a brothel.
12. Francis Drake
Francis Drake is one of the world's most famous pirates. Actually, he wasn't a pirate, but a privateer, operating on the high seas and oceans against enemy ships under a special permit from Queen Elizabeth. Devastating the coasts of Central and South America, he became immensely rich. Drake accomplished many great deeds: he discovered a strait, which he named after himself, and under his command, the British fleet defeated the Great Armada. Since then, a ship in the British navy bears the name of the famous explorer and privateer Francis Drake.
13. Henry Morgan
A list of the most famous pirates would be incomplete without the name of Henry Morgan. Although born into a wealthy English landowning family, Morgan devoted his life to the sea from a young age. He signed on as a cabin boy on a ship and was soon sold into slavery in Barbados. He managed to make it to Jamaica, where he joined a pirate gang. Several successful voyages allowed him and his companions to purchase a ship. Morgan was chosen as captain, and it was a fortunate decision. Within a few years, he had 35 ships under his command. With this fleet, he managed to capture Panama in a single day and burn the entire city. Because Morgan operated primarily against Spanish ships and pursued an active British colonial policy, the pirate was not executed after his arrest. On the contrary, for his services to Britain in the fight against Spain, Henry Morgan was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. The famous corsair died at the age of 53 from cirrhosis of the liver.
14. Edward Teach
Edward Teach, or Blackbeard, is one of the most famous pirates in the world. Almost everyone has heard of his name. Teach lived and pillaged the seas during the height of the Golden Age of Piracy. Enlisting at the age of 12, he gained valuable experience that would serve him well in the future. Historians believe Teach fought in the War of the Spanish Succession, and after its conclusion, he consciously decided to become a pirate. His reputation as a ruthless buccaneer allowed Blackbeard to seize ships without resorting to arms—at the sight of his flag, the victim would surrender without a fight. His buccaneering life was short-lived—Teach died during a boarding battle with a pursuing British warship.
15. Henry Avery
Henry Every, nicknamed Long Ben, is one of the most famous pirates in history. The father of the future famous buccaneer was a captain in the British navy. From childhood, Every dreamed of sea voyages. He began his naval career as a cabin boy. Then, Every was appointed first mate of a privateer frigate. The ship's crew soon mutinied, and the first mate was proclaimed captain of the pirate vessel. Thus, Every embarked on a career of piracy. He became famous for capturing ships carrying Indian pilgrims to Mecca. The pirates' loot was unheard of for the time: 600,000 pounds and the daughter of the Great Mogul, whom Every later married. How the life of this famous buccaneer ended is unknown.
16. Amaro Pargo
Amaro Pargo was one of the most famous buccaneers of the Golden Age of Piracy. Pargo was a slave transporter and made a fortune in the process. His wealth allowed him to engage in charitable work. He lived to a ripe old age.
17. Aruzh Barbarossa
A famous and powerful pirate from Turkey. He was characterized by cruelty, ruthlessness, and a fondness for torture and executions. He worked as a pirate alongside his brother, Khair. The Barbarossa pirates were the terror of the entire Mediterranean. Thus, in 1515, the entire Azier coast was under the control of Aruj Barbarossa. Battles under his command were sophisticated, bloody, and victorious. Aruj Barbarossa died during the battle, surrounded by enemy forces in Tlemcen.
18. William Dampier
A British navigator. He was an explorer and discoverer by vocation. He completed three circumnavigations of the globe. He became a pirate to finance his research—studying the winds and currents of the ocean. William Dampier is the author of such books as "Voyages and Descriptions," "A New Voyage Round the World," and "The Direction of the Winds." An archipelago off the northwest coast of Australia is named after him, as is the strait between the west coast of New Guinea and Waigeo Island.
19. Grace O'Mail
A pirate woman, a legendary captain, a lady of fortune. Her life was full of colorful adventures. Grace possessed heroic courage, unparalleled determination, and a keen talent for piracy. She was a nightmare for her enemies and an object of admiration for her followers. Despite having three children from her first marriage and one from her second, Grace O'Mail continued her beloved work. Her activities were so successful that Queen Elizabeth I herself offered Grace a commission in her service, but she resoundingly declined.
20 . Anne Bonny
Anne Bonny, one of the few women who succeeded in piracy, grew up in a wealthy mansion and received a good education. However, when her father decided to marry her off, she ran away with a common sailor. Some time later, Anne Bonny met the pirate Jack Rackham, and he took her aboard his ship. According to eyewitnesses, Bonny's courage and fighting skill rivaled those of her male pirates.
Incredible Facts About Pirates
1. In the 18th century, the Bahamas were a paradise for pirates.
The Bahamas, today a respectable resort destination, and its capital, Nassau, were once the capital of maritime lawlessness. In the 17th century, the Bahamas, formally a British possession, lacked a governor, and pirates took complete control. At the time, over a thousand pirates lived in the Bahamas, and squadrons of the most famous pirate captains moored in the island's harbors. The pirates preferred to call Nassau, in their own way, Charlestown. Peace returned to the Bahamas only in 1718, when British troops landed in the Bahamas and reclaimed Nassau.
2. The Jolly Roger is not a single pirate flag.
«The Jolly Roger—a black flag with a skull and crossbones—is often considered the primary pirate symbol. But that's not entirely true. It's rather the most famous and iconic. However, it wasn't used as often as is commonly believed. It only emerged as a pirate flag in the 17th century, toward the end of the golden age of piracy. And not all pirates used it, as each captain decided for themselves which flag to fly for their raids. So, alongside the Jolly Roger, there were dozens of pirate flags, and the skull and crossbones wasn't particularly popular among them.
3. Why did pirates wear earrings?
Books and movies don't lie: pirates almost universally wore earrings. They were even part of a pirate initiation ritual: young pirates received an earring upon their first crossing of the equator or Cape Horn. This was because pirates believed that wearing an earring could preserve sight and even cure blindness. This pirate superstition led to a widespread fashion for earrings among sea robbers. Some even tried to use them for dual purposes, casting a spell on the earring to prevent drowning. An earring removed from the ear of a slain pirate could also guarantee the deceased a proper burial.
4. There were many female pirates
Surprisingly, women were not uncommon in pirate crews. There were even quite a few female captains. The most famous of them were the Chinese Cheng Yi Sao, Mary Read, and, of course, the infamous Anne Bonny. Anne was born into a wealthy Irish lawyer's family. From an early age, her parents dressed her as a boy so she could assist her father in the office as a clerk. The dull life of a lawyer's assistant didn't appeal to Anne, so she fled home, joining the pirates and quickly becoming a captain thanks to her determination. Rumor has it that Anne Bonny had a fiery temper and often beat her mates if they tried to challenge her opinions.
5. Why are there so many one-eyed people among pirates?
Anyone who's watched a pirate movie has probably wondered at least once: why are so many of them one-eyed? The eyepatch has long been an essential part of the pirate image. However, pirates didn't wear them because they were all missing an eye. It was simply convenient for quicker and more accurate aiming in battle, and putting it on before battle was too time-consuming—it was more comfortable to wear it all the time.
6. There was strict discipline on pirate ships.
Pirates could commit any atrocity ashore, but strict discipline reigned aboard pirate ships—their lives depended on it. Every pirate, upon joining a ship, signed a contract with the captain, outlining their rights and responsibilities. Their primary obligation was unquestioning obedience to the captain. A common pirate had no right to even directly address the commander. Only an appointed representative of the crew—usually the boatswain—could do so at the insistence of the sailors. Furthermore, the contract strictly defined the pirate's share of the loot, and any attempt to conceal the spoils was punishable by immediate execution—this was done to avoid bloody confrontations on board.
7. Among the pirates there were representatives of all social strata
Sea pirates weren't just poor men who had taken to sea for lack of other means of support, or fugitives unaware of the possibility of earning a living legally. They also included men from wealthy and even noble families. For example, the infamous pirate William Kidd—Captain Kidd—was the son of a Scottish nobleman. He was initially a British naval officer and pirate hunter. But his innate cruelty and passion for adventure pushed him to a different path. In 1698, under cover of the French flag, Kidd captured a British merchant ship laden with gold and silver. When his first prize proved so impressive, how could Kidd refuse to continue his career?
8. Buried pirate treasures are the stuff of legends
There are many legends about buried pirate treasures—far more than the actual treasures. Of all the famous pirates, only one is reliably known to have buried treasure: William Kidd, hoping to use it as ransom if captured. It didn't work for him—after his capture, he was immediately executed as a pirate. Pirates typically didn't leave behind large fortunes. Pirates' expenses were high, their crews were large, and each crew member, including the captain, was succeeded by one of his friends and comrades. Recognizing their short lifespan, pirates preferred to squander their wealth rather than hide it, anticipating a precarious future.
9. Walking along the yardarm was a rare punishment
Judging by films, the most common method of execution among pirates was "the yardarm walk," where a man, with his hands bound, was forced to walk along a thin yardarm until he fell overboard and drowned. In reality, this punishment was rare and was used only on sworn personal enemies—to elicit fear or panic. A traditional punishment was "keelhauling," where a pirate or recalcitrant prisoner punished for disobedience was lowered overboard with ropes and dragged under the ship's bottom, then hauled out the other side. A good swimmer might easily survive this punishment, but the victim's body would be so riddled with barnacles clinging to the bottom that recovery would take weeks. The victim could easily die, again, more likely from wounds than from drowning.
10. Pirates sailed all the seas
After the film "Pirates of the Caribbean," many believe that the seas of Central America were the hub of global piracy. In fact, piracy was equally prevalent in all regions—from Britain, whose privateers, pirates in the service of the king, terrified European shipping, to Southeast Asia, where piracy remained a real force until the 20th century. And the river raids of northern peoples on the cities of Ancient Rus' were truly pirate raids!
11. Piracy as a way to make a living
In difficult times, many hunters, shepherds, and loggers turned to piracy not for adventure, but for a simple crust of bread. This was especially true for residents of Central America, where the European powers fought endlessly for colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries. Constant armed conflicts deprived people not only of work but also of homes, and the inhabitants of coastal settlements had known seafaring since childhood. So they went where they had a chance to be well-fed and not have to worry too much about tomorrow.
12. Not all pirates were outlaws.
State piracy is a phenomenon that has existed since ancient times. Barbary corsairs served the Ottoman Empire, Dunkerque privateers served Spain, and Britain, during its era of ocean dominance, maintained a fleet of privateers—warships that captured enemy merchant ships—and corsairs—private individuals engaged in the same trade. Although state pirates engaged in the same trade as their free brethren, the difference in their status was vast. Captured pirates were subject to immediate execution, while a corsair with a proper charter could count on prisoner-of-war status, a quick ransom, and a state reward—like Henry Morgan, who received the governorship of Jamaica for his corsair service.
13. Pirates still exist today.
Today's pirates, instead of cutlasses, are armed with modern machine guns, and prefer modern speedboats to sailing vessels. However, they operate with the same determination and ruthlessness as their ancient predecessors. The Gulf of Aden, the Strait of Malacca, and the coastal waters of Madagascar are considered the most dangerous areas for pirate attacks, and civilian vessels are advised not to enter them without armed escort.
The 7 Most Terrible Pirates in History
With the advent of the famous Jack Sparrow, pirates have become the stuff of cartoon characters in modern pop culture. And so it's easy to forget that real sea robbers were far more menacing than their Hollywood parodies. They were brutal mass murderers and slave owners. In short, they were pirates. Real pirates, not pathetic caricatures. As evidenced by the following…
1. François Olonnet
The French pirate François Ohlone hated Spain with all his heart. Early in his piratical career, Ohlone nearly died at the hands of Spanish marauders, but instead of reconsidering his life and becoming, say, a farmer, he decided to dedicate himself to hunting the Spanish. He clearly expressed his feelings toward these people after beheading the entire crew of a Spanish ship he encountered, with the exception of one man, who sent the following message to his fellow pirates: "From this day forward, not a single Spaniard will receive a cent from me.".
But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Considering what happened next, it's fair to say the beheaded Spaniards got off easy.
Having earned a reputation as a cutthroat, Ohlone gathered eight pirate ships and several hundred men under his command and set out to terrorize the coast of South America, destroying Spanish cities, capturing ships heading to Spain, and generally causing a major headache for that nation.
However, Olona's luck suddenly turned when, returning from yet another raid on the Venezuelan coast, he was ambushed by outnumbered Spanish soldiers. Explosions thundered, pirates were blown to pieces, and Olona barely managed to escape the carnage, capturing several hostages along the way. But that wasn't the end of his difficulties, for Olona and his crew still had to escape enemy territory alive and avoid another ambush, which they simply wouldn't be able to fight off.
So what did Olone do? He drew his sabre, slashed one of the Spanish hostages across the chest, pulled out his heart, and "bite[d] it with his teeth like a greedy wolf, telling the others: 'The same awaits you if you don't show me the way out.'".
The intimidation worked, and the pirates were soon out of danger. If you're curious about the heads of the decapitated Spaniards we mentioned earlier... well, let's just say the pirates ate like kings for a whole week.
2. Jean Lafitte
Despite his effeminate name and French origins, Jean Lafitte was a true pirate king. He owned his own island in Louisiana, plundered ships, and smuggled stolen goods to New Orleans. Lafitte was so successful that when the governor of Louisiana offered $1,000 for his capture (at the time, $300 was half the state budget), the pirate countered with $1,000 for the governor's capture.
Newspapers and authorities painted Lafitte as a dangerous and brutal criminal and mass murderer, a sort of Osama bin Laden of the 1800s, if you will. Apparently, his fame crossed the Atlantic, as in 1814, Lafitte received a letter personally signed by King George III, offering the pirate British citizenship and land if he sided with them. He also promised not to destroy his small island and sell it off piecemeal. Lafitte asked for a few days to consider his decision... and in the meantime, he rushed straight to New Orleans to warn the Americans of the British advance.
So, the United States may not have liked Jean Lafitte, but Lafitte felt at home in the United States.
Although he wasn't American, Lafitte treated the new country with respect and even ordered his fleet not to attack American ships. He personally killed one pirate who disobeyed his order. Furthermore, the privateer treated hostages well and sometimes returned their ships if they were unsuitable for piracy. The residents of New Orleans considered Lafitte almost a hero, as the contraband he brought allowed people to buy things they otherwise couldn't afford.
So, how did the American authorities react to the news of the impending British attack? They attacked Lafitte's island and captured his men, believing he was simply lying. Only after future President Andrew Jackson intervened, noting that New Orleans was unprepared for a British attack, did the authorities agree to release Lafitte's men on the condition that they assist their navy.
It could be said that it was only thanks to the pirates that the Americans managed to defend New Orleans, which otherwise would have been a significant strategic victory for the British. In this city, the British could gather their forces before attacking the rest of the country. Just think: if not for this unwashed French "terrorist," the United States might not exist today.
3. Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur doesn't fit the typical pirate mold in that he was a highly respected U.S. Navy officer. Decatur became the youngest captain in naval history, which would be a ridiculous fiction if it weren't true. He was recognized as a national hero, and for a time, his portrait even appeared on the twenty-dollar bill.
How did he achieve such popularity? By organizing some of the most epic and bloody raids in history.
For example, when Tripolitan pirates captured the frigate Philadelphia in 1803, 25-year-old Decatur gathered a group of men disguised as Maltese sailors and armed only with swords and pikes, and infiltrated the enemy harbor. There, without losing a single man, he captured the enemy and set fire to the frigate to prevent the pirates from using it. Admiral Horatio Nelson called this raid "the boldest and most daring adventure of the century.".
But that's not all. Later, returning from capturing another vessel with a crew twice the size of Decatur's, he learned that his brother had been mortally wounded in a fight with pirates. Despite his crew being exhausted from the recent raid, Decatur turned the vessel around and pursued the enemy ship, which he and ten others later boarded.
Ignoring the others, Decatur rushed straight for the man who shot his brother and killed him. The remaining crew members eventually surrendered. Thus, in one day, the young man had captured 27 hostages and killed 33 pirates.
He was only 25 years old.
4. Ben Hornigold
Benjamin Hornigold was Blackbeard's Emperor Palpatine. While his protégé became the most famous pirate in history, Hornigold forever became a footnote in the Edward Titch books.
Hornigold began his pirate career in the Bahamas, with only a couple of small boats at his disposal. However, just a few years later, Hornigold was sailing on a massive 30-gun warship, which made his maritime piracy much easier. So much so, in fact, that it seems the privateer began robbing purely for the fun of it.
Once, for example, in Honduras, Hornigold boarded a merchant ship, but all he demanded from the crew was their hats. He explained his demand by saying that his crew had gotten very drunk the night before and lost their hats. Having received what he wanted, Hornigold boarded his ship and sailed away, leaving the merchants with their goods.
And this wasn't the only incident. Another time, a crew of sailors captured by Hornigold reported that the pirate released them with only "a little rum, sugar, gunpowder, and ammunition.".
Unfortunately, his crew didn't seem to share their captain's views. Hornigold always considered himself a "privateer" rather than a pirate, and to prove it, he refused to attack British ships. This stance found little support among the sailors, and Hornigold was ultimately dismissed, with a good portion of his crew and ships defecting to Blackbeard. Before he lost his head.
Hornigold, however, abandoned his pirate life, accepted the king's pardon, and switched sides, hunting down those he had once associated with.
5. William Dampier
Englishman William Dampier was accustomed to achieving great things. Not content with being the first person to circumnavigate the globe three times, or a recognized author and explorer, he had a small business on the side, plundering Spanish settlements and plundering other people's ships. All in the name of science, of course.
Pop culture persistently tries to convince us that all pirates were toothless and illiterate bums, but Dampier was the clear opposite: he not only respected the English language but also enriched it with new words. The Oxford English Dictionary cites Dampier over a thousand times in its entries, as he is credited with spellings of words like "barbecue," "avocado," "chopsticks," and hundreds of others.
Dampier is recognized as Australia's first naturalist, and his contribution to Western culture is invaluable. It was his observations that Darwin based his theory of evolution on, and he is also mentioned in glowing terms in Gulliver's Travels.
His most remarkable achievement, however, was not literary or scientific. In 1688, with his first circumnavigation nearly complete, Dampier sent his crew packing and landed somewhere on the coast of Thailand. There, he boarded a canoe and rowed home. Dampier only reached English shores three years later, carrying nothing but a journal... and a tattooed slave.
After this, he published his first book, which became a huge success.
6. Black Bart
In the 17th and 18th centuries, sailing on military or merchant ships was an extremely thankless occupation. Working conditions were atrocious, and if you angered a superior, the resulting punishment was extremely harsh, often resulting in death. Consequently, no one wanted to become a sailor, so military and merchant ships were forced to literally kidnap people from ports and force them to work on their ships. Understandably, this method of recruitment did not inspire much loyalty to the cause or their superiors.
Bartholomew Roberts (or simply "Black Bart") became a pirate out of necessity, which doesn't make him any worse than others. Roberts was working on a slaver's ship when it was captured by pirates. When they invited sailors to join them, he accepted without hesitation. Although it's possible the pirates also threatened to kill him if he didn't join them. Thanks to his high intelligence and navigational talent, Roberts quickly gained the captain's trust. When the captain was killed, he (who had only been with the pirates for six months) was chosen to replace him.
Roberts became a distinguished pirate, but apparently never forgot where he came from. When boarding a ship, before turning to profit, he would ask the captured sailors if the captain and officers had treated them well. If a complaint was filed against any of the commanding officers, Roberts dealt mercilessly with the offenders. Incidentally, other pirates also practiced this, although their punishments were more sophisticated.
Roberts, being a civilized man, eventually forced his crew (the same ones who had previously captured him) to follow a strict code of conduct consisting of 11 points, among which were: no gambling, no women on board, lights out at 8 p.m., and mandatory washing of soiled bed linen.
7. Barbarossa
In movies and TV shows, a pirate is considered lucky if they have at least one ship and a crew of a couple dozen. But as it turns out, some real pirates were much luckier in real life. For example, the Turkish pirate Hayreddin Barbarossa had not only his own fleet, but also his own state.
Barbarossa began as an ordinary merchant, but after a poor political decision (he supported the wrong candidate for sultan), he was forced to abandon the Eastern Mediterranean. Becoming a pirate, Barbarossa began attacking Christian ships near what is now Tunisia, until his enemies captured his base, leaving him homeless. Tired of being constantly thrown out, Barbarossa founded his own state, known as the Regency of Algiers (which encompassed modern-day Algeria, Tunisia, and part of Morocco). He succeeded thanks to an alliance with the Turkish sultan, who supplied him with ships and weapons in exchange for support.
How high did this guy rise, you ask? Let's put it this way: Barbarossa once single-handedly defeated the combined forces of Venice, the Vatican, Genoa, Spain, Portugal, and Malta at the Battle of Preveza (1538). He had 122 ships under his personal command at the time.