Cowdrey's article on the Mahdia campaign stops short, as I recall, of
labelling that North African raid an 'armed pilgrimage'. Rightly so. And
Tim Rayborn, who cites the episode, would not, I think, go quite that far,
either. Admittedly, there are some interesting motifs which anticipate the
crusades. But 'proto-crusade'? Part of the Mediterranean reconquista,
certainly; but the crusades were more than that.
Gary Dickson
University of Edinburgh
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