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Meddix or medix, natively meddíss, was a title used by the Osco-Umbrians to designate magistrates.

Etymology and attestations

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Meddix is derived from the compound medV(s)-diks meaning "one who speaks law".[1] Because of similarities in meaning, meddix has been compared to Latin iudex (judge).[2] The term is attested in Paelignan, Volscian, Marsian, Marrucinian, and Oscan insciptions.[3]

The term is only occasionally used by roman writers, who prefer to substitute the word "praetor" or στρατηγος (strategos) instead.[4] The term is attested in Oscan inscriptions as meddíss.[5]

Description

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Meddix tuticus

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The meddix tuticus was the head of state.[4] Under this position, a person had "unfettered" control over his tribe.[4] The meddix tuticus was the supreme military, religious, and legal official of the state.[4] The meddix tuticus also presided over the finances and could consult a council.[4] The meddix tuticus was reelected once a year.[4] Unlike the Roman consulate, there could only be one meddix tuticus[6], but this varied by tribe.[7]

History

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List of Meddices

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References

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  1. ^ de Vaan 2008, pp. 169, 385.
  2. ^ de Vaan 2008, pp. 169 "The meanings of Lat[in] iūdex and P[roto-]Sab[ellic] *med(es)-dik- are so similar that they suggest a common origin or mutual influence."
  3. ^ de Vaan 2008, pp. 169 "O[scan] meddiss, meddís, meddis [nom[inative singular]], μεδεκον [acc[usative singular]], medikeís [gen[itive singular]], medikeí [dat[ive singular]], medikid [abl[ative singular]], medd[i]ks, μεδδειξ [nom[inative] pl[ural], Marr[uscinian] medix, Mars[ian], medis, meddiss [nom[inative singular]], Pael[ignian] medix, Vol[scian] medix [nom[inative] pl[ural] 'judge' (vel sim.)"
  4. ^ a b c d e f Salmon 2010, p. 85.
  5. ^ Salmon 2010, p. 84.
  6. ^ Salmon 2010, p. 86.
  7. ^ Maggiani 2024, p. 535.
  8. ^ Noonan 2006, p. 328.

Sources

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  • de Vaan, Michiel (2008). Etymological dictionary of Latin and the other Italic languages. Leiden Indo-European etymological dictionary series. Leiden ; Boston: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-16797-1. OCLC 225873936.
  • Noonan, J. D. (2006). "Mettius Fufetius in Livy". Classical Antiquity. 25 (2): 327–349. doi:10.1525/ca.2006.25.2.327. ISSN 0278-6656.
  • Salmon, Edward Togo (2010). Samnium and the Samnites (Digitally printed version ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-521-06185-8. (originally published 1967)
  • Maggiani, Adriano (2024), "Magistrates and Political Institutions", The Oxford Handbook of Pre-Roman Italy (1000--49 BCE), Oxford University Press, pp. 533–545, ISBN 978-0-19-998789-4, retrieved 2024-05-30
  • Forsythe, Gary (2006). A critical history of early Rome: from prehistory to the first Punic War. The Joan Palevsky imprint in classical literature (1. paperback printing ed.). Berkeley, Calif.: Univ. of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-24991-2.
  • Van Dusen, Rachel (2009). "Saving Face: Pentrian Samnite Elites in the Aftermath of the SamniteWars (343-290 B.C.E.)". Etruscan Studies. 12 (1). doi:10.1515/etst.2009.12.1.153. ISSN 2163-8217.
  • Stek, Tesse (2009). Cult Places and Cultural Change in Republican Italy : A Contextual Approach to Religious Aspects of Rural Society after the Roman Conquest. Amsterdam University Press. ISBN 978-90-8964-177-9.
  • Scopacasa, Rafael (2015). Ancient Samnium. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-871376-0.
  • Skutsch, O. (1974-12-01). "NOTES ON ENNIUS". Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies. 21 (1): 75–80. doi:10.1111/j.2041-5370.1974.tb00141.x. ISSN 0076-0730.