Some Remarks on the Date of Caesar’s Capture by Cilician Pirates

Year 2016, Issue: 19, 129 - 150, 01.06.2016

Murat Tozan

Abstract

The capture of young Julius Caesar by pirates off the western coast of Asia Minor is mentioned by many ancient and modern authors on various occasions. Some discrepancies, however, in ancient literary sources providing information about this event have led to some differences of opinion among modern writers. After examining the common points in the ancient literary sources by removing the authors’ embellishments rather than the differences that brought about the disputes, the historical core of the event emerges as follows: In his early youth during his sea travel off the coast of Asia, Caesar was captured by Cilician pirates near the island of Pharmakousa1 Fig. 1 . He was taken prisoner by the pirates on this island for about 40 days. After the payment of a large ransom, he was released and then set sail with the ships that he acquired from the nearby region. Eventually, he seized and punished the pirates who had captured him

Caesar’ın Kilikialı Korsanlar Tarafından Yakalanmasının Tarihi Üzerine Bazı Düşünceler

Abstract

Genç Caesar’ın Asia kıyılarında korsanlar tarafından yakalanıp esir edilmesinden gerek antik kaynaklarda gerekse modern eserlerde çeşitli vesileler ile söz edilmektedir. Bu olay hakkında bilgi veren antik edebi kaynaklardaki bazı uyuşmazlıklar modern araştırmacılar arasında görüş ayrılıklarının yaşanmasına neden olmaktadır. Görüş ayrılıklarına neden olan uyuşmazlıklardan ziyade öncelikle antik edebi kaynaklardaki ortak noktalara bakacak olursak olayın tarihsel özünün şu şekilde olduğu ortaya çıkmaktadır. Caesar gençliğinde Asia kıyısında seyahat ederken Pharmakousa adası yakınlarında Kilikialı korsanlar tarafından yakalandı. Yaklaşık 40 gün kadar bu adada korsanların elinde esir olarak kaldı. Yüksek bir fidye karşılığında serbest bırakıldıktan sonra bölgeden topladığı gemiler ile denize açılarak kendisini yakalamış olan korsanları ele geçirdi ve onları cezalandırdı.

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