Pirates, often romanticized as swashbuckling adventurers, were in reality more often brutal thieves who engaged in violence, plunder, and murder on the high seas. While some may have been driven to piracy by circumstance, the vast majority were motivated by greed and a disregard for the law. Their actions caused widespread fear and disruption to maritime trade, and their legacy is one of cruelty and violence, not of romantic adventure.
