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Civil wars had devastated the land, and much of the population turned to piracy. Crete became a major haven for pirates, with its strategic position in the midst of the Mediterranean and because it did not fall under the control of any of the Mediterranean empires. Cilicia was the other major pirate refuge.
The roots of the word "piracy" come from the ancient Greek πειράομαι, or peiráomai, meaning "attempt" (i.e., of something illegal for personal gain). This morphed into πειρατής, or peiratēs, meaning "brigand," and from that to the Latin pirata, where the modern English word pirate originated. [1]
Usage of the term "Greek fire" has been general in English and most other languages since the Crusades. Original Byzantine sources called the substance a variety of names, such as "sea fire" (Medieval Greek: πῦρ θαλάσσιον pŷr thalássion), "Roman fire" (πῦρ ῥωμαϊκόν pŷr rhōmaïkón), "war fire" (πολεμικὸν πῦρ polemikòn pŷr), "liquid fire ...
Two styles of scimitars: an Egyptian shamshir (left) and an Ottoman kilij (right). A scimitar (/ ˈ s ɪ m ɪ t ər / or / ˈ s ɪ m ɪ t ɑːr /) [1] is a single-edged sword with a convex curved blade [2] [3] [4] of about 76.2 to 91.44cm (30 to 36 inches) associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures.
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Archaeologists also determined that, based on the location of the wreck, the ship had been sailing towards Stockholm when it went under, meaning it may have been just a few miles from its ...
Anointing of the Sick is one of the seven Sacraments recognized by the Catholic Church, and is associated with not only bodily healing but also forgiveness of sins. Only ordained priests can administer it, [ 15 ] and "any priest may carry the holy oil with him, so that in a case of necessity he can administer the sacrament of anointing of the ...
An illustration of Welsh pirate Bartholomew Roberts in the 1724 edition. A General History introduced many features which later became common in pirate literature, such as pirates with missing legs or eyes, the notion of pirates burying treasure, and the name of the pirate flag the Jolly Roger.