For many years they financed themselves by acts of brigandage, attacking the rich camel-trains on their way to and from Jahilia.

"All family dynasties, he explained with an expression between earnestness and jest, can trace their histories back to some act of brigandage.

Thus the numerous countries and fiefdoms of the Peleponnesus, the Aegean, Cyprus, Rhodes and, in a daring act of brigandage, Constantinople, were established.

The province, owing to its proximity to the capital, had already suffered much even in the early days of the revolution when inflammatory speeches delivered outside and inside of every cabaret by agents of the government had provoked a half-starved peasantry into acts of brigandage and loot.

The kingdom had a truce with Saladin at the time, and Raynald's actions have been seen as an independent act of brigandage; it is possible that he was trying to prevent Saladin from moving his forces north to take control of Aleppo, which would have strengthened Saladin's position.

Perdicaris later said: "I go so far as to say that I do not regret having been his prisoner for some time... He is not a bandit, not a murderer, but a patriot forced into acts of brigandage to save his native soil and his people from the yoke of tyranny."