Maedi

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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 (now the Mesta) rivers. Their capital city was Iamphorynna.

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.

In 89--84 bc (during the First Mithradatean 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 bull or bison that lived in the region.