Interesting post HaveSeen4Myself, not sure that i agree with your theory though.

originally posted by HaveSeen4Myself
Who benefitted the most from 'the world is flat' theory? The idea that a ship could sail right off the edge of the earth and plunge into an abyss was perhaps the most successful lie in world history.

Probably those that benefited most by keeping the populace in the dark was the Church, not pirates. The Church (and the Vatican in particular) sponsored much of the early exploration of the New World. It makes sense that they would have liked to keep anything of value, knowledge or materials to themselves.
Pirates in the main chose their way of life because of social/economic reasons (ie they were poor, lower class, uneducated or slaves), or for fame and riches, in service to their country or because they were blood thirsty degenerates who were able to sate their pyschopathic urges through piracy. I think a conspiracy was probably the last thing these guy's and gals had on their minds.

originally posted by HaveSeen4Myself
The fact is that pirates came into existence when boats did. Are those who presently rule the world decendants of these plunderers? For me, this disturbing notion is difficult to overlook.

Well considering a lot of these guys died violent deaths at reasonably young age, and most didnt have family's i'd suggest that there probably arent too many descendants of original pirates around. I can see how you might think that some of todays politicians and business leaders might be likened to pirates though.

originally posted by HaveSeen4Myself
[C-O-N-S] P-I-R-A-C-Y wow what a coincidence. Could it be that he internet and the entire genre of mass media was created by the same PIRATES who manufactured "the world is flat" theory?

I dont think so, but kudo's for thinking outside the box, i wouldnt have made that connection.
I think Lostinspace could be on the right track, the Phoenicians were extremely secretive when it came to their trade routes, technology and navigation, i'm sure they would have been keen to suppress any outside involvement in maritime activity's.
Anyway makes for an interesting angle.

Here's another pirate, this guy was said to have been particularly bloodthirsty but seems to be one of the few that managed to retire at some stage and live in relative peace and prosperity for the rest of his life.

On a trip across the Atlantic Ocean, an Indian member of the crew, who was severely beaten and mistreated, threatened to ignite the ship's powder magazine. Condent swiftly jumped into the hold, and shot the Indian in the face. Purportedly, the crew hacked the body to pieces, and the gunner slashed open his stomach, tore out his heart, boiled it, and ate it.

Setting course for the Cape Verd Islands Condent took a merchant laden with wine from Madeira. Coming to the Isle of Mayo he took the whole salt fleet, consisting of 20 sailing ships. It is at this point that we his cruel side and possibly gather some glimpse of why he turn to piracy. Condent set himself up over the salt fleet to administer justice to the officers of the ships. If any crewman of the ships had complaint against the officers' treatment of them, the officers were whipped and pickled.

Hein was born in Delfshaven (now part of Rotterdam), the son of a captain, and he became a sailor while he was still a teenager. In his twenties, he was captured by the Spanish, and served as a galley-slave for about four years, probably between 1598 and 1602, when he was traded for Spanish prisoners. Between 1603 and 1607 he was again held captive by the Spanish, when captured near Cuba.

Hein captured 11,509,524 guilders of booty in gold, silver and other expensive trade goods, as indigo and cochineal, without any bloodshed. The Dutch didn't take prisoners: they gave the Spanish crews ample supplies for a march to Havana. The released were surprised to hear the admiral personally giving them directions in fluent Spanish; Hein after all was well acquainted with the region as he had been confined to it during his internment after 1603. The treasure was the company's greatest victory in the Caribbean.
As a result, the money funded the Dutch army for eight months allowing it to capture the fortress 's-Hertogenbosch and the shareholders enjoyed a cash dividend of 50% for that year. He returned to the Netherlands in 1629, where he was hailed as a hero. Watching the crowds cheering him standing on the balcony of the town hall of Leyden he remarked to the burgomaster: "Now they praise me because I gained riches without the least danger; but earlier when I risked my life in full combat they didn't even know I existed...". Hein was the first and the last to capture such a large part of a Spanish "silver fleet" from America.

Spanish ships had brought treasure from the New World since Christopher Columbus' first expedition of 1492, but a system of convoys started to be developed in the 1520s in response to attacks by French and English privateers. Under this system, two fleets sailed each year from Seville (Cádiz from 1707), consisting of galleons, heavily armed with cannons, and merchant carracks, carrying manufactured goods and later some ships were used to carry some slaves. One fleet sailed to the Caribbean, the other to the South American ports of Cartagena, Nombre de Dios (and later Porto Bello); after completing their trade the fleets rendezvoused at Havana in Cuba for the return trip.

Despite the general perception that many Spanish galleons were captured by English or Dutch pirates or privateers, the fact is that very few fleets were actually lost to enemies in the course of flota's long career. Treasure fleets were captured by Piet Hein in 1628 and destroyed in 1656 and 1657 by Robert Blake. The 1702 treasure fleet was also destroyed in the Battle of Vigo Bay when surprised at port, but had already unloaded most of its silver. In the case of the Manila galleons, only four were ever captured. These losses and those due to hurricanes were heavy economic blows when they occurred, but overall the treasure fleets must be counted as among the most successful naval operations in history.

It is likely one of the most sensational archeological discoveries in the Eastern Europe in 20 years, at least two Illyrian boats have been found by Dr Snjezana Vasilj, a Sarajevo University, professor and her team.
The ancient Illyrians, who flourished in the Western Balkans thousands of years ago, were said to be skilled shipbuilders, sailors and most likely pirates, but no material evidence of this has been located until today.

"It is a known fact that Illyrians were pirates," she said. "They stole from Romans and Greeks ships, and this is the type of boat they used. We can assume that the Illyrians were followed and they hid here. They were probably discovered and sunk."
In addition to the boats, Vasilj's team found more than 70 artifacts, as well as a Roman spear. Seven tombs from an Illyrian tribe known as the Daors were also discovered in the vicinity, as well as what may be an Illyrian hut.

The Illyrians were one of the classic pains-in-the-necks of in the classical world. Their pirates were denounced by the Romans, who routed them on the way to conquering the Mediterranean around, in a long-running fight that concluded around 160 B.C. Was the fortress of Grunas some sort of redoubt against these ruffians of the high seas in the ancient world, or part of their kingdom, Galaty and his colleagues wondered.

The townspeople of San Agustin had been caught completely by surprise. Shouting, cursing, bands of cutthroats scattered through the narrow streets, seizing or shooting the frightened, half-naked inhabitants as they emerged from their houses. The royal accountant, Juan Menéndez Marques, and his brother, Antonio, ran to the guardhouse. Shortly after they had left their house, freebooters burst in and captured their family. The Marques brothers found the guardhouse looted and deserted. They then hurried to Government House—all was silent there, as well. The brothers then decided that the city’s fortress would be the next place to look for help. As they ran toward the stockade with 10 or 12 men who had joined them, the buccaneers fired upon them.

Robert Searle (alias John Davis) was one of the earliest and most active of the English buccaneers on Jamaica. Nothing, to date, is known of his early life. The famous buccaneer chronicler, Esquemeling, states that Searle was “born at Jamaica,” but this seems unlikely, since that island did not become an English dominion until 1655. Searle’s career as a “gentleman of fortune” was marred by frequent quarrels with Sir Thomas Modyford, royal governor of Jamaica, who usually befriended buccaneers.

Sir Henry Morgan (Hari Morgan in Welsh), (ca. 1635 – August 25, 1688) was a Welsh privateer, who made a name in the Caribbean as a leader of buccaneers. He was among Wales's most notorious and successful privateers.

On January 18, 1671, Morgan discovered that Panama had roughly fifteen hundred infantry and cavalry. He split his forces in two, using one to march through the forest and flank the enemy. The Spaniards were untrained and rushed Morgan's line where he cut them down with gunfire, only to have his flankers emerge and finish off the rest of the Spanish soldiers. After looting and taking booty that exceeded a hundred thousand pounds, Morgan had his men burn the city and massacred all its inhabitants, an action considered, to this date, the most barbarous atrocity ever perpretated by a British privateer against Spanish colonies in America.

In 1670 Morgan assembled an expedition of 36 ships and over 1800 men at a safe anchorage off Hispaniola. At a meeting with his captains, English and French, it was decided to attack Panama, the legendary Spanish city of the Indies. All the riches of the mines of Peru passed through here on the way to Spain and the city was known to be full of rich merchants and fine buildings. The task confronting Morgan was extremely difficult and dangerous. There was no Panama Canal and his force would have to take the Caribbean island of Old Providence, sail from there to land at Chagres and cross the isthmus to Panama through thick jungle and across high mountains. Even England's hero Sir Francis Drake had failed in a similar undertaking many decades before. After many battles and privations, in 1671 Panama finally fell.

Panama was said to be impregnable to attack, of course, but what of that? Morgan was confident after all of his successful raids on invulnerable towns such as Puerto Principe, Portobelo, And Maracaibo. Governor Moodyford, lacking the fiery self-confidence that was one of Morgan’s chief characteristics, was inclined to be dubious of this venture. He was not disposed to throw any real obstacles in the path of his buccaneer partner, however. He had been proven wrong too often in his estimate of Morgan’s ability in a pinch. It looked like a suicide try up to the very day of departure, although in a half-hearted way; because he did not really believe his own fears. Over-riding his apprehensions was the secret conviction that if Henry Morgan ever made up his mind to capture Panama, he was quite likely to do it.
Such was the reputation of Morgan as a leader, this was his calling. For some time on the Isle De La Vaca he recruited men from the four corners of the earth. From France, Holland, England, and from every pirate stronghold in the West Indies they came…ragged, hungry, empty in pocket; their baggage only the clothes on their backs and the guns in their hands. What they lacked in worldly goods, they more than made up in enthusiasm.

The wreckage of a pirate ship abandoned by Captain Kidd in the 17th century has been found by divers in shallow waters off the Dominican Republic, a research team claims.
The underwater archaeology team, from Indiana University, says they have found the remains of Quedagh Merchant, actively sought by treasure hunters for years.

Historians differ on whether Kidd was actually a pirate or a privateer — a ship or captain paid by a government to battle the enemy. After his conviction of piracy and murder charges in a sensational London trial, he was left to hang over the River Thames for two years.

The oldest evidence of the pirates' existence is an inscription on a clay tablet from the time of Pharo Echnaton (1350 BC). This document describes a pirates' ship attacking in North Africa. There is also an epigraphic evidence from the 340's, from Athens.

A party of Spanish soldiers attacked l'Olonais and his crew, killing almost the entire party. L'Olonais himself survived by covering himself in the blood of others and hiding amongst the dead. After the Spaniards departed, l'Olonais, with the assistance of some slaves, escaped and made his way to Tortuga. Shortly after this, he and his crew held a town hostage, demanding a ransom from its Spanish rulers. The governor of Havana sent a ship to kill l'Ollonais' party, but l'Olonais captured and beheaded the entire crew save one, whom he spared so that a message could be delivered to Havana. In the message, l'Ollonais declared: I shall never henceforward give quarter to any Spaniard whatsoever.

L'Ollonais himself was an expert torturer, and his techniques included slicing portions of flesh off the victim with a sword, burning them alive, or "woolding", which involved tying knotted rope around the victim's head until their eyes were forced out.

l'Olonais captured two Spaniards. Exquemelin wrote:
"He drew his cutlass, and with it cut open the breast of one of those poor Spaniards, and pulling out his heart with his sacrilegious hands, began to bite and gnaw it with his teeth, like a ravenous wolf, saying to the rest: I will serve you all alike, if you show me not another way."