The gal mesedi was a Hittite military and administrative title literally meaning "chief of the royal bodyguards".^[1] He was in charge of the Mesedi, the personal bodyguard of the Hittite king.^[2] It is considered to be one of the most important and prestigious posts of the Hittite Kingdom.^[3][2]

The gal mesedi was a commander responsible for the safety of the king himself. On most cases he was a member of the royal family and sometimes the brother of the king, whom he sometimes succeeded as in the case of Hattusili III, who before becoming a king was the gal mesedi of his brother, King Muwatalli II.^[4] A gal mesedi could also at times command independent military units that weren't under the king's jurisdiction.

• Gal dubsar
• Gal gestin

Notes

References

• Bryce, Trevor (2004-12-17). Life and society in the Hittite world. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-927588-5. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
• Beal, Richard Henry (1992). The organisation of the Hittite military. C. Winter. ISBN 978-3-533-04562-5. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
• Burney, Charles (19 April 2004). Historical Dictionary of the Hittites. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0810865645. Retrieved 15 December 2014.