commas, semi-colons, colons or exclamation marks where thought appropriate by the editor. Date and authorship The Carmen was almost certainly composed shortly after the campaign it describes. It has a "ring of triumphant immediacy" that has been compared to that of other celebratory poems of the age: the Carmen de Hastingae proelio (1066), the Carmen de bello Saxonico (1075) and the Pisan Liber Maiolichinus (1115), all of which were composed shortly after the battles they describe. In favour of an early date is the lack of reference to the Crusade, but the poet does refer to the consecration of a church dedicated to Pope Sixtus II, on whose feast day (August 6), the Mahdian suburb of Zawīla was taken. If the date of composition is 1087–88, then the consecration of the church may reflect Pisan intentions rather than a fait accomplit. After the poem in the manuscript is the rubric ANNI DOMINI MILLESSIMI OCTUAGESIMO OCTAVO, meaning "in the year of the Lord one thousand and eighty-eight [that is, 1087]", which probably reflects the copyist's (or author's) belief as to when the battle occurred and not when the poem was composed. The author's "fervid tone of urban patriotism" points to his Pisan origin. His familiarity with the Old Testament to his clerical status, and his theme of holy warfare to the theological work of Anselm of Lucca. Themes and purpose The Carmen shows the conception of "crusading as an act of love" in an early form. This includes love of one's neighbour, as when the cleric writes, "The Genoese ... join themselves to the Pisans with great love; they do not care about earthly life, or about their sons; they give themselves to the dangers for love of the Redeemer" (Convenerunt Genuenses virtute mirabili / et adiungunt se Pisanis amore amabili. / Non curant de vita mundi nec de suis filiis, / pro amore Redemptoris se donant periculis.), and also love of God, as when Bishop Benedict of Modena urges the warriors, "[Y]ou must forget everything of the world for Christ" (pro Christo omnes mundi vos obliviscimini). The presence of Benedict itself foreshadows the presence of Italian bishops Daimbert of Pisa, Maurice of Porto and Henry of Castello on later crusades. The poet-chronicler is also clear to attribute spiritual motives to the soldiers, as when he says that "with devoted hearts they offer penance to God, and share the Eucharist of