THE BARBARY CRUSADE

The pirates were building on a rich tradition when they started to prowl the Mediterranean, but their attacks drew a fierce response

- 

Piracy in the Mediterranean was nothing new, but the corsairs elevated it to unprecedented levels. Over centuries, seafaring nations had waxed and waned along the shores of the sea, and their trading ships were irresistible to those willing to take the risks involved with being a pirate. Early pirate activity in the region was often aimed at protecting the trade of a state against encroachment from rivals - a kind of loose naval blockade. In this way, Etruscan ships attacked Greek and Carthaginian vessels as much as a form of deterrent as anything else - a forceful way of saying 'stay out of our waters'.

The Barbary states took piracy to a new level, to the extent that it would become their livelihood and underpin their economies. Named after the Berbers who inhabited the region, the Barbary Coast was a natural platform for piracy, offering easy striking points into the lucrative shipping lanes of the Mediterranean where ships, people and cargoes could be plundered.