Missus dominicus

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Missi" redirects here. For the American actress and singer, see
Şeşpĕl Mišši. For the 1976 film, see Missi (film)
.

A missus dominicus (plural missi dominici), Latin for "envoy[s] of the lord [ruler]" or palace inspector, also known in Dutch as Zendgraaf (German: Sendgraf), meaning "sent Graf", was an official commissioned by the Frankish king or Holy Roman Emperor to supervise the administration, mainly of justice, in parts of his dominions too remote for frequent personal visits.[1] As such, the missus performed important intermediary functions between royal and local administrations. There are superficial points of comparison with the original Roman corrector, except that the missus was sent out on a regular basis. Four points made the missi effective as instruments of the centralized monarchy: the personal character of the missus, yearly change, isolation from local interests and the free choice of the king.[2]

Reign of Charlemagne

Based on

wergeld and resistance to them was punishable by death.[12] In addition special instructions were given to various missi, and many of these have been preserved.[5]

As missi became a conventional part of court machinery, missus ad hoc came to signify missi sent out for some particular purpose.[13][14] The districts placed under the ordinary missi, which it was their duty to visit for a month at a time, four times a year, were called missatici or legationes[5] (a term illustrating the analogy with a papal legate); the missatica (singular missaticum) avoided division along the lines of the existing dioceses or provinces.[12][15] The missi were not permanent officials, but were generally selected from the ranks of officials at the court, and during the reign of Charlemagne high-standing personages undertook this work.[5] They were sent out collegially, usually in twos, an ecclesiastic and a layman, and were generally complete strangers to the district which they administered,[5] to deter them from putting out local roots and acting on their own initiative, as the counts were doing. In addition extraordinary missi represented the emperor on special occasions, and at times beyond the limits of his dominions.[16] Even under the strong rule of Charlemagne it was difficult to find men to discharge these duties impartially, and after his death in 814 it became almost impossible.[5][17]

Reigns of Louis the Pious and Charles the Bald

Under Charlemagne's surviving legitimate son, Louis the Pious (ruling 813–840),the process of disintegration was hastened.[18] Once the king associated the choice of missi with the assembly of nobles, the nobles interfered in the appointment of the missi. The missi were later selected from the district in which their duties lay,[19][20][5] which led to their association with local hereditary filiations and in general a focus upon their own interests rather than that of the king.[21][22] The 825 list of missi reveals that the circuits of the missatica now corresponded with provinces, strengthening local powers. The duties of missi, who gradually increased in number, became merged in the ordinary work of the bishops and counts,[23] and under the emperor Charles the Bald[5] (ruling 843–877), who was repeatedly pressured by bishops to send out missi, they took control of associations for the preservation of the peace.[5] Louis the German (ruling 843–876) is not known to have sent out missi.[24] About the end of the ninth century, with the implosion of Carolingian power, the missi disappeared from France and during the 10th century from Italy.[5][25]

The missi were the last attempt to preserve centralised control in the

Viking
attacks, to which the impaired central power was demonstrated to be impotent.

Notes

  1. OCLC 950017512
    .
  2. ^ Points noted in James Laurence Laughlin, "The decline of the missi dominici in Frankish Gaul", Credit 4.1 (1903:1–22) p. 5.
  3. ^ Michael Frassetto, Encyclopedia of barbarian Europe: society in transformation, 2003, s.v, "Missi Dominici";
  4. ^ Laughlin 1903:4.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Missi Dominici" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 583.
  6. OCLC 950017512
    .
  7. ISBN 9789004353046
    , retrieved 2019-07-30
  8. ^ Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages, 1993:192.
  9. S2CID 163735932
    .
  10. ^ Tr. Henry R. Loyn and J. Percival, The Reign of Charlemagne. London, 1975. p. 44.
  11. ^ "They were most likely used to administer oaths of fidelity to Charlemagne in 789 and 792–93" (Encyclopedia of Barbarian Europe: Society in Transformation)
  12. ^ a b Laughlin 1903:6.
  13. ^ Encyclopedia
  14. OCLC 690511467
    .
  15. OCLC 690511467
    .
  16. OCLC 757169049
    .
  17. ^ James Laurence Laughlin, "The decline of the missi dominici in Frankish Gaul", Credit 4.1 (1903:1-).
  18. OCLC 950017512
    .
  19. doi:10.18713/jimis-180719-5-4
    .
  20. S2CID 163735932
    .
  21. OCLC 690511467.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link
    )
  22. S2CID 165069023
    .
  23. ^ Depreux, Philippe. "L'absence de jugement datant du règne de Louis le Pieux: l'expression d'un mode de gouvernement reposant plus systématiquement sur le recours aux missi". Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest. 108: 7–20.
  24. ^ Laughlin 1903:*.
  25. OCLC 906746189
    .

Sources and external links

Further reading

See also
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