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A ''missus dominicus'' (plural ''missi dominici''), Latin for "envoy() of the lord ()" 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 far for frequent personal visits. 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.〔Points noted in James Laurence Laughlin, "The decline of the ''missi dominici'' in Frankish Gaul", ''Credit'' 4.1 (1903:1-22) p. 5.〕 ==Reign of Charlemagne== Based on Merovingian ''ad hoc'' arrangements,〔Michael Frassetto, ''Encyclopedia of barbarian Europe: society in transformation'', 2003, ''s.v,'' "Missi Dominici";〕 using the form ''missus regis'' (the "king's envoy") and sending a layman and an ecclesiastic in pairs,〔Laughlin 1903:4.〕 the use of ''missi dominici'' was fully exploited by Charlemagne (ruling 768—814), who made them a regular part of his administration, "a highly intelligent and plausible innovation in Carolingian government", Norman F. Cantor observes,〔Cantor, ''The Ciivilization of the Middle Ages'', 1993:192.〕 "and a tribute to the administrative skill of the ecclesiastics, such as Alcuin and Einhard". The ''missi'' were at first chosen from Charlemagne's personal, most trusted entourage, of whatever social degree. Soon they were selected only from the secular and eccesiastical nobility: the entry for 802 in the so-called Lorsch Annals (794-803) states that instead of relying on "poorer vassals", Charlemagne "chose from the kingdom archbishops and bishops and abbots, with dukes and counts, who now had no need to receive gifts from the innocent, and sent them throughout his kingdom, so that they might administer justice to the churches, to widows, orphans and the poor, and to all the people."〔Tr. Henry R. Loyn and J. Percival, ''The Reign of Charlemagne''. London, 1975. p. 44. 〕 Presumably the same year the capitulary usually known as the ''Capitulare missorum generale'' was issued, which gives a detailed account of their duties and responsibilities. They were to execute justice, to ensure respect for the king, to control the government of the military dukes and administrative counts (then still royal officials), to receive their oath of allegiance,〔"They were most likely used to administer oaths of fidelity to Charlemagne in 789 and 792-93" (''Encyclopedia'')〕 to let the king's will be known, at times by distributing capitularies around the empire, and to supervise the clergy of their assigned region. In short, they were the direct representatives of the king or Holy Roman Emperor. The inhabitants of the district they administered had to provide for their subsistence, and at times they led the host to battle.The ''missi'' were protected by a triple ''wergeld'' and resistance to them was punishable by death.〔Laughlin 1903:6.〕 In addition special instructions were given to various ''missi'', and many of these have been preserved. As ''missi'' became a conventional part of court machinery, ''missus ad hoc'' came to signify ''missi'' sent out for some particular purpose.〔''Encyclopedia'' 〕 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'' (a term illustrating the analogy with a papal legate); the ''missatica'' (singular ''missaticum'') avoided division along the lines of the existing dioceses or provinces.〔Laughlin 1903:6.〕 The ''missi'' were not permanent officials, but were generally selected from the ranks of officials at the court, and during the reign of Charlemagne personages of high standing undertook this work. They were sent out collegially, usually in twos, an ecclesiastic and a layman, and were generally complete strangers to the district which they administered, 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. 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.〔 James Laurence Laughlin, "The decline of the ''missi dominici'' in Frankish Gaul", ''Credit'' 4.1 (1903:1-).〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「missus dominicus」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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