Editing Dagome iudex (section)

==History==
{{unreferenced section|date=November 2012}}The ''Dagome iudex'' survives in the form of a summary, completed {{circa|1080}}. It was found in a register compiled by a [[Roman Curia|curial]] [[Catholic Cardinal|cardinal]] during the [[Pope|papacy]] of [[Pope Gregory VII|Gregory VII]].

Most historians believe that the word ''"Dagome"'' is a melding of two names: the Christian ''"Dago"'', for "[[Dagobert]]" (Mieszko's hypothetical baptismal name), and the ''"Me,"'' for pagan "Mieszko." The [[Latin]] word {{Lang|la|iudex}} ("judge") could refer to "prince." Another interpretation is that ''"Dagome iudex"'' is a corruption of ''"Ego Mesco dux"'' ("I, Prince Mieszko"). In the Vatican copy, the e of Dagome might have an ''s adscriptum'' (similar to [[cedilla]]), although the Vatican copyist read ''iudex'' literally, relating it to [[Sardinia]] and [[Giudicati|its four "judges"]].

Place names are misspelled by the writer who made the summary. He was apparently unaware that the document related to territory later called Poland.

The boundaries of the "[[Gniezno]]" state are described as those that extended to the "Long Sea" (the [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]]), [[Prussia]], [[Rus' people|Rus']], [[Kraków]], [[Moravia]] and the [[Oder River]]. [[Lesser Poland]] is included by the mention of its capital, [[Kraków]] ("craccoa"). Between ''alemura'', probably [[Olomouc]] and [[Upper Lusatia]] region of the [[Milceni]] (''terra mileze''){{Ref label|a|a|none}} a straightened border could include [[Silesia]].

The text seems to use ''civitas schinesghe'' as a synonym of [[Greater Poland]]. Otherwise, the boundary description would be more logical if ''schenisghe'' meant the city of [[Szczecin]]. Of the other regions and places in Mieszko's territory, it mentioned only [[Kraków]] and [[Lusatia]], both without ''fines'' (border). The regions outside Mieszko's rule, ''pruzze'' ([[Prussia]]) and ''russe'' ([[Ruthenia]]) were mentioned with the word ''fines''.

The ''Dagome iudex'' is of critical importance to [[History of Poland|Polish history]], since it provided a general description of the future Polish state in that period. It, however, left many questions unanswered. First, it did not explain ''why'' [[Mieszko I of Poland|Mieszko I]] placed his state under the Pope's protection. Also, it is unclear why the document did not mention Mieszko's eldest son, [[Bolesław I the Brave]]. Instead, his sons by his second wife (except the third), Oda, were mentioned instead. Finally, Mieszko I is not referred to as "''Dagome''" in any other document.

Historians suppose that Bolesław's absence from the document might be explained by an old custom whereby children received their inheritance as soon as they reached the [[age of majority]]. Thus, [[Bolesław I the Brave|Bolesław the Brave]] might have received [[Kraków]] as his part of his father's legacy before the ''Dagome iudex'' was written.