The Pirates Who Kidnapped Caesar

In 75 BCE, a young Julius Caesar, not yet the powerful dictator of Rome, was captured by Cilician pirates in the Aegean Sea near the island of Pharmacusa (now part of Turkey).

At the time, Caesar was traveling to study rhetoric in Rhodes. His capture by pirates marked an important and dramatic episode in his early life that not only demonstrated his audacity and confidence but also hinted at the ruthlessness he would later become known for.

When the pirates seized Caesar, they initially demanded a ransom of 20 talents of silver (about 620 kilograms). However, Caesar, offended by the low sum, insisted that they increase the ransom to 50 talents (around 1,550 kilograms of silver). This bold move was typical of Caesar’s self-assured nature, even at a young age. He sent his companions to gather the ransom money, leaving him with the pirates for 38 days while it was raised.

During his time in captivity, Caesar maintained a remarkably confident and commanding demeanour. He acted as though he were their leader rather than their prisoner. According to accounts from the Roman historian Plutarch, Caesar frequently joked with the pirates and even participated in their games and activities. He treated them with an air of superiority, often shushing them when he wanted to sleep or read, and mockingly threatened to have them all crucified once he was freed. The pirates, who initially took his threats as mere banter, were unaware that Caesar was entirely serious.

Once the ransom was paid and Caesar was released, he immediately began to make good on his promises. He quickly raised a small fleet from the city of Miletus, where he had connections, and set out to hunt down the pirates who had held him captive. With Roman military efficiency, Caesar soon located the pirates still anchored near the island of Pharmacusa, and his fleet overwhelmed them.

After capturing the pirates, Caesar took them to the Roman authorities in the province of Asia for formal prosecution. However, when the local governor seemed reluctant to act quickly, Caesar took matters into his own hands. Without waiting for the slow-moving Roman bureaucracy, he had all the pirates crucified, as he had promised while in captivity. In a slight act of mercy, he ordered their throats to be slit before crucifixion, sparing them from the prolonged agony typically associated with the punishment.