The origins of the Giudicati

Following the Justinian conquest in 534, Sardinia became Byzantine. Two authorities administered the island: a 'praeses' for civil matters and a 'dux' for military matters. The 'praeses' also had political and judicial control of the Island, so much so that it was defined as 'iudex insulae'. Instead, the 'dux' or 'magister militum' was responsible for the maintenance of the fortifying works.
Following the Justinian conquest in 534, Sardinia became Byzantine.

Two authorities administered the island: a 'praeses' for civil matters and a 'dux' for military matters. The 'praeses' also had political and judicial control of the Island, so much so that it was defined as 'iudex insulae'.

The 'dux' or 'magister militum', on the other hand, was responsible for the maintenance of the fortifying works, of public order and was in charge of the 'Exercitus Sardiniae'. During the 8th century, the office of the 'praeses' was disauthorized and many of his duties were absorbed by that of the 'dux', until he came to concentrate on a single person, the 'iudex Sardiniae'.

It is assumed that at the beginning the office of 'judge' or 'archon' of Sardinia was elective and for life, but reserved for the members of the most prominent families in the local Byzantine aristocracy, those of the Lacon and Gunale. Over time, it became hereditary, because only representatives of the Lacon-Gunale always took turns on the judicial throne of Cagliari, with the dynastic name now of Torcotorio, now of Salusio, used when it came to corroborating local diplomacy with the seal recalling the Byzantine source of sovereign authority.

The fact that Gunale's family member is always associated with a Torcotorio, while a Salusio is always from Lacon, suggests that the origin of the merger was a pact between the two families bound to those marital ties between blood relatives.

From the middle of the tenth century, the 'iudex Sardiniae' will place its representatives in the four most important territorial districts of the island; this local authority was probably the 'lociservator' or 'topoteretes', with civil and military duties.

This confirms the thesis that in Cagliari the presence of the 'iudex' prevented any extension of power by the 'lociservator', while in the farthest 'parts' or 'mereie' he would have gradually replaced himself with the central authority, until, both by usurpation and by spontaneous recognition by the same 'iudex Sardiniae' himself (to whose family he originally belonged), he would have assumed the prerogatives and name of iudex, with independent sovereignty.

These internal issues would have led to the formation of four institutional entities (Cagliari or Pluminos, Arborea, Torres or Logudoro, Gallura). In addition to these considerable internal motivations, there is also a dangerous external situation: Arab pressure on the coast and the subsequent change in the political fabric of direct late-Roman continuity, which remained on the island until well into the 8th century

Update

20/9/2023 - 11:19