When Julius Caesar was 26 years old, he was a long way from commanding the Roman Empire, yet he was an impressive man. He was a Roman prosecutor, known for his way with words, educated and ambitious. Caesar wasn't all that wealthy, but he had plenty of family and political connections. As he was traveling the Mediterranean to further his education, the ship was boarded by Cicilian pirates. Most of the passengers and crew were sent off to be sold in slave markets, but the pirates could tell from his appearance and his demeanor that Caesar would bring more profit by holding out for a ransom. They suggested 20 talents. Caesar was insulted, and insisted that they demand 50 talents. The pirates took him to the island of Pharmacusa, where he lived with the pirates for 38 days while his allies arranged to pay the 50 talents. The pirates thought Caesar was funny, first because of his arrogance in demanding a higher ransom, and then by his bad poetry. But they admired his continual air of authority while in captivity. The ransom finally arrived.
As he prepared to board the ship back to Miletus, Caesar paused to address the pirates. He had no choice, he said, but to bring them to justice. Although they had failed to appreciate his poetry, they had in general treated him well, and individually he bore them no ill will. But they were, after all, pirates. And pirates must be hunted down and executed.
The pirates laughed. They whistled and cheered. He really was a fine speaker.
Caesar was deadly serious. Seeking the pirates turned him from a lawyer into a warrior, and he hunted them down and captured them. Then he had to do it all over again, as the authorities he gave them to would rather sell them into slavery than crucify them. Read what Caesar did to the pirates at Truly Adventurous.