This time, Brad Delong has overdone his geeky self (again): his latest work on issu.
- It is not a racial issue, the “slaves” where never defined as white but as Christians. Converting to Islam was often enough to set one free. In Europe, Muslims were used in the galleys, including former Christians who had become Muslims.
- The term of slave is not appropriated since unlike those in Rome or in the America, those who were taken away could and often were bought back by their family, their government or charitable institutions. We should define them as captive.
- The impact on Europe may have been important, specially in the most exposed areas (Malta, Southern Spain, etc.) but then again, the Christian powers themselves used Christian bonded rawmen, for instance the Genoan admiral Andrea Doria used the prisoners from several Spanish and Italian jails.
- Finally, the journalist of the Guardian should learn how to read since I suspect Robert Davis never said that eastern Europeans weren’t Christians (they’re not Catholic, but they are Christian), nor did he described the jails the captives were parked in – the baños – as… baths!