Except of course, ancient world pirates tended not to attack other ships so much as lightly defended coastal villages and towns. Ship to ship operations carried a high chance of sinking both vessels. Raiders operated in small fleets because a single ship's complement (20-50 crew) wasn't enough to take a town. In Glorantha of course, it depends more on the abilities of the crew. :)
I haven't yet seen the printed version of MOTS, so apologies if my rabbitting below covers ground well trod in the supplement itself. Inspired by this thread, I've picked up a copy of Lionel Casson's 'The Ancient Mariners - Seafarers and Sea Fighters of the Mediterranean in Ancient Times', and it's **excellent**. Some of my musings below are based directly on Casson.
In Book 12 of the Odyssey, Odysseus, home on Ithaca at last but concealing his identity, concocts a very plausible lie about his life as a pirate raider:
From the online (ancient but out of copyright) Butler translation (http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/odyssey.14.xiv.html)
"I conceived the idea of making a descent on Egypt, so I fitted out a fine fleet and manned it. I had nine ships, and the people flocked to fill them. For six days I and my men made feast, and I found them many victims both for sacrifice to the gods and for themselves, but on the seventh day we went on board and set sail from Crete with a fair North wind behind us though we were going down a river. Nothing went ill with any of our ships, and we had no sickness on board, but sat where we were and let the ships go as the wind and steersmen took them. On the fifth day we reached the river Aegyptus; there I stationed my ships in the river, bidding my men stay by them and keep guard over them while I sent out scouts to reconnoitre from every point of vantage.
"But the men disobeyed my orders, took to their own devices, and ravaged the land of the Egyptians, killing the men, and taking their wives and children captive. The alarm was soon carried to the city, and when they heard the war cry, the people came out at daybreak till the plain was filled with horsemen and foot soldiers and with the gleam of armour. Then Jove spread panic among my men, and they would no longer face the enemy, for they found themselves surrounded. The Egyptians killed many of us, and took the rest alive to do forced labour for them.
It paints a vivid picture of Mediterranean piracy in the 12th and 11th centuries BCE. Raiding was a natural part of the life. Troy, if we can image it being loosely based on actual events, was at heart an extended pirate raid lasting one or two years, with a combined fleet of Mycenean raiders blockading a particularly rich potential spoil. Homer has Menelaus bragging how he wandered for seven years suffering much to 'collect' the treasures of his palace, raiding in such exotic locales as Cyprus, Phoenecia, Sidon, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Libya. The black ships (smeared with pitch) were much loved of the Hellenes.
Sometime later, in 'The History of the Peloponnesian War ', Thucydides reports that pirates always considered their profession particularly honorable:
"For in early times the Hellenes and the barbarians of the coast and islands, as communication by sea became more common, were tempted to turn pirates, under the conduct of their most powerful men; the motives being to serve their own cupidity and to support the needy. They would fall upon a town unprotected by walls, and consisting of a mere collection of villages, and would plunder it; indeed, this came to be the main source of their livelihood, no disgrace being yet attached to such an achievement, but even some glory. An illustration of this is furnished by the honour with which some of the inhabitants of the continent still regard a successful marauder, and by the question we find the old poets everywhere representing the people as asking of voyagers- "Are they pirates?"- as if those who are asked the question would have no idea of disclaiming the imputation, or their interrogators of reproaching them for it. The same rapine prevailed also by land."
(http://classics.mit.edu/Thucydides/pelopwar.1.first.html)
The main reason for the foundation of the Deliac naval alliance was the suppression of piracy. Even in mythology we have Tyrinian (Etruscan) Pirates kidnapping the young Dionysus - to their surprise and eventual great disadvantage. :).
Pirates were primarily raiders of coastal towns, working in small fleets because a single boatload would not be enough against even a small village. Plunder from the land was far more profitable. A town might yield rich harvest of cattle, furnishings, adornments, perhaps objects of gold or silver, and above all women and children who would bring good prices on the slave market. (Remember that Odysseus' nurse was a slave who had been kidnapped by pirates). And a properly executed raid - as Odysseus' was not - was not that dangerous, at least to the raiders. A stealthy entry to the harbour at night with muffled oars, some careful scouting, a sudden dawn attack, a rush back aboard, a few hours gruelling work at the oars, and every survivor of the crew finds themselves considerably richer.
All much simpler, surer and more rewarding than taking on a merchantman, which might turn out to be carrying building stone, lumber, (most of Egypt's - and Prax's? - lumber was imported), cheap pottery, or even sailing in ballast. Slave dealers had little interest in weather-beaten merchant seamen - the market was in women in children who could be rendered passive and trained for household work. And raiders did their own rowing.
All great game fodder. Makes you want to 'borrow' a Wolf Pirate ship and set off west to raid Glamour. Okay okay, so my Non-Dragon Pass Geography is pretty lousy. When did that ever stop an Orlanthi? Orlanth went west and found the Evil Emperor didn't he? It can't be all that difficult... :)
Cheers, errr Shiver me timbers.
John
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