Images of pirates from the Middle Ages and Renaissance. While the modern imagination anachronistically ascribes 18th century clothing to medieval pirates, these illustrations demonstrate a wider (and more contemporary) range of clothing.

See also the illustrations of sailors elsewhere on this site.

• Pompey fights pirates, History of the Holy Grail (BNF Fr. 105, fol. 46), first half of the 14th century
• Caesar is taken by pirates, Ancient history until Caesar (BNF Fr. 251, fol. 216v), second quarter of the 14th century
• The story of Landolfo Ruffolo in the Decameron (BNF Arsenal 5070, fol. 51v), 1432
• The vessels of Bavo attacked by pirates, Chroniques du Hainaut (Bibliothèque Royale Albert Ier, fol. 24v), c. 1447-1448
• The pirate Diomedes in front of Alexander the Great, Schachzabelbuch (WLB Cod. poet. 2, fol. 45), 1467
• Alexander the Great with a pirate, Confessio amantis (PML M.126, fol. 65r), c. 1470
• The captured pirate Dyonides before Alexander the Great, The City of God (MMW 10 A 11, fol. 183r), c. 1475-1480
• The suicide of Hippo, De mulieribus claris (BNF Fr. 599, fol. 47v), 15th-16th century
• Scenes of torture carried out by Barbary pirates or Corsairs, Histoire de Barbarie, et des Corsaires (British Library C.80.A.2, 412-413), 1637