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Basically the title asks it all, but here's a bit more of a detailed question in that regard.

Was the concept/practice of Penitent Crusades present before the Horus Heresy? Probably not for the entire legion, considering we haven't heard of an entire legion being sent on one... but maybe parts of a legion. If a large chunk of marines failed in a particular battle or did some other kind of feth-up, would they be sent on the equivalent of one of these Penitent Crusades?

Also, if there weren't any Penitent Crusades before the HH, when was it written in? I mean, after the HH there was the whole Codex Astartes deal and people were adapting to the dissolution of Legions into Chapters. Is it in the Codex Astartes or not? Did one day they just decide to send chapters on Crusades if they fethed up or was it a gradual thing?

Thanks

Im pretty sure the Emperor sent Angron to the edge of the galaxy to kill Xenos when he found out he'd been implanting the butchers nails in his legion. And Corax sent away some of the Terran born Raven Guard who were a little too bloodthirsty for his taste in the Nomad Predation fleet (an idea I'm using in my Pre Heresy RG, having my RG as Proto Carcharodons).

Except those aren't really examples of a Penitent Crusade, but rather just getting rid of a problem. Out of sight out of mind.

I think probably Penitent Crusades are a post-Heresy invention, because they are tied so closely to Emperor Worship. Probably even more so from after the Age of Apostasy to the current time as things just kept getting more and more dogmatic.

There would be no real reason for Legions to step out of line pre-Heresy, as there were no religious rules to fall prey to.

Before their Heresy there was only THE Crusade

Seems more cases of directing them out of the way, not punishing as such but put of sight and out of the way until you can think about what to do.

The answer is no, the Emperor wasnt seen as a God until after the Heresy, which is a somewhat necessary precondition to the concept of a Penitent Crusade.

Weren't the Word Bearers sent off on what amounts to a Penitent Crusade after the Ultramarines made an example of one of their worlds? Monarchia or something? Don't have my copy of the book handy at the moment.

 Inquisitor Gonzo wrote:
Weren't the Word Bearers sent off on what amounts to a Penitent Crusade after the Ultramarines made an example of one of their worlds? Monarchia or something? Don't have my copy of the book handy at the moment.

They were sent off after being told off for taking their time bringing worlds to Compliance. I don't think that there was a codified Penitent Crusade until after the Heresy.

No there were just crusade fleets sometimes only one legion and sometimes an amalgam of different legions in far away places spreading the "truth" of the emperor.

The concept of a Penitent Crusade, by that name, would not exist until after the Emperor's ascension to the Golden Throne. While the seeds of the Imperial Cult were planted during his lifetime, the Ecclesiarchy would not come to exist, as a powerful body-politic, until after the Heresy. It would not be until this point that the various religious references of much of the Imperium's business would be applied.