Maedi

The Maedi (also Maidans, Maedans, or Medi) were a Thracian tribe who, in historic times, occupied the area between Paionia and Thrace, on the southwestern fringes of Thrace, along the middle course of the Strymon and the upper course of the Nestus rivers, (present-day south-western Bulgaria).[1] Their capital city was Iamphorynna.

Thracian tribe Maedi with their capital Iamphorynna according to Classical Atlas to Illustrate Ancient Geography, New York 1849.

They were an independent tribe through much of their history, and the Thracian king Sitalkes recognized their independence, along with several other warlike "border" tribes such as the Dardani, Agrianes, and Paeonians, whose lands formed a buffer zone between the powers of Thrace on the east and Illyria in the west, Macedon being located to the south of Paeonia. The ancient and Plutarch describes Spartacus as "a Thracian of nomadic stock", refering to the Maedi. Plutarch also says Spartacus' wife, a prophetess of the same tribe, was enslaved with him.

In 89–84 bc (during the First Mithridatic War), the Maedi overran Macedon, looted Dodona, and sacked Delphi. It is said that they made a habit of raiding Macedon when a king of Macedon was away on a campaign. Aristotle recorded that bolinthos was the Maedan word for a species of wild Aurochses or Wisents that lived in the region.