Barbarossa

Barbarossa (Red-beard), the Italian name of Horuk or Aruch, the son of a Turkish soldier, who was born at Mitylene about 1474. He and his brother became such wealthy and influential pirates that they were invited by the Algerine Musulmans to help them against the Spaniards. Horuk soon seated himself on the Algerian throne, to which he annexed those of Tunis and Tlemcen. However, the heir to the latter, assisted by Gomares, the Spanish. Governor of Oran, made a vigorous resistance, and Barbarossa was killed on the bank of the river Meileh, in 1518.