As filed with the Commission on December 18, 1997
                                       Registration No. 333-_____
=================================================================

                SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                      Washington, D.C.  20549
                         _________________

                             FORM S-8
                      REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                               Under
                    The Securities Act of 1933
                    __________________________

                  MERIDIAN INSURANCE GROUP, INC.
      (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

              INDIANA                        35-1689161
   (State or other jurisdiction           (I.R.S. Employer
         of incorporation                Identification No.)
         or organization)

    2955 NORTH MERIDIAN STREET               46206-1980
       POST OFFICE BOX 1980                  (Zip Code)
       INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
       (Address of Principal
        Executive Offices)
                           ____________

            MERIDIAN INSURANCE GROUP, INC. 401(K) PLAN
                     (Full title of the plan)

                         J. MARK MCKINZIE
                  MERIDIAN INSURANCE GROUP, INC.
                    2955 NORTH MERIDIAN STREET
                       POST OFFICE BOX 1980
                 INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46206-1980
              (Name and address of agent for service)

                          (317) 927-8100
              (Telephone number, including area code,
                       of agent for service)

                            COPIES TO:
                         Tibor D. Klopfer
                          Baker & Daniels
               300 North Meridian Street, Suite 2700
                    Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
                          _______________

                  CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Title of Securities Amount to be        Proposed Maximum    Proposed Maximum   Amount of
to be Registered    Registered*         Offering Price      Aggregate Offering Registration
                                        Per Share*          Price*             Fee*
<S>                 <C>                 <C>                 <C>                <C>
Common Shares,      15,000 Shares       $16.19              $242,850           $71.64
without par value
*Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h) based upon the average of the high and low prices for
the Common Shares, as reported on the Nasdaq National Market System on December 15, 1997.  In
addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement
also covers an indeterminate amount of interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the employee
benefit plan described herein.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
                             FORM S-8
                   Registration Statement Under
                    The Securities Act of 1933



                  MERIDIAN INSURANCE GROUP, INC.




                              PART II

        INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

     The  Company's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 1996 (File No. 0-11413) and the information set forth under the caption
"Description of Registrant's  Securities to be Registered" in the Company's
Registration Statement on Form  8-A  filed pursuant to Section 12(g) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange  Act")  (File  No. 0-11413),
including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating  such
description, are incorporated herein by reference.  All other reports filed
pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the
fiscal  year  for  which  audited financial statements are contained in the
annual report described above  are  incorporated  herein by reference.  All
documents filed by the Company pursuant to Sections  13(a),  13(c),  14, or
15(d)  of  the  Exchange  Act  after  the  date  hereof  and  prior  to the
termination  of  the  offering  of  the  securities offered hereby shall be
deemed to be incorporated by reference herein  and to be a part hereof from
the date of filing of such documents with the Commission.  The Company will
promptly  provide without charge to each person to  whom  a  prospectus  is
delivered,  a  copy  of  any  or all information that has been incorporated
herein by reference (not including  exhibits  to  the  information  that is
incorporated   by   reference   unless   such   exhibits  are  specifically
incorporated by reference into such information),  upon the written or oral
request  of such person directed to the Secretary of  the  Company  at  its
principal offices, 2955 North Meridian Street, P.O. Box 1980, Indianapolis,
Indiana 46206.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     Chapter  37  of  the  Indiana  Business  Corporation  Law  empowers  a
corporation  to  indemnify  any  individual  who  was  or  is a party or is
threatened  to  be  made  a  party to any threatened, pending or  completed
action,  suit or proceeding, whether  civil,  criminal,  administrative  or
investigative and whether formal or informal, by reason of the fact that he
is or was  a  director,  officer,  employee or agent of the corporation or,
while a director of a corporation, is  or was serving at the request of the
corporation  as  a director, officer, partner,  member,  manager,  trustee,
employee or agent  of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership,
limited liability company,  joint  venture, trust, employee benefit plan or
other enterprise, whether for profit  or  not,  against reasonable expenses
(including  counsel  fees),  judgments,  fines (including  any  excise  tax
assessed with respect to an employee benefit  plan),  penalties and amounts
paid in settlement incurred by him in connection with such  action, suit or
proceeding (i) if he acted in good faith, and (ii) in the case  of  conduct
in  his  official  capacity with the corporation, if he reasonably believed
his conduct was in the  best  interests of the corporation or, in all other
cases, if he reasonably believed  his  conduct  was at least not opposed to
the  best  interests  of the corporation (or with respect  to  an  employee
benefit plan, if he reasonably believed his conduct was in the interests of
the participants in and  beneficiaries of the plan), and (iii) with respect
to any criminal action or proceeding, if he had reasonable cause to believe
his conduct was lawful or  no  reasonable  cause to believe his conduct was
unlawful.

     Chapter 37 further provides that a corporation  shall,  unless limited
by its articles of incorporation, indemnify a director or officer  who  was
wholly  successful,  on  the  merits  or  otherwise,  in the defense of any
action, suit or proceeding to which he was a party because  he  is or was a
director or officer of the corporation against reasonable expenses incurred
by  him  in  connection  therewith.   Chapter 37 expressly states that  the
indemnification  thereby provided does not  exclude  any  other  rights  to
indemnification to  which  a person may be entitled.  Chapter 37 empowers a
corporation to purchase and  maintain  insurance on behalf of an individual
who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or
who, while a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, is or
was  serving  at the request of the corporation  as  a  director,  officer,
partner, member,  manager, trustee, employee or agent of another foreign or
domestic  corporation,   partnership,   limited  liability  company,  joint
venture,  trust,  employee  benefit  plan  or   other  enterprise,  against
liability asserted against or incurred by the individual  in  that capacity
or arising from the individual's status as a director, officer, employee or
agent,  whether  or  not the corporation would have power to indemnify  the
individual against the  same  liability under Chapter 37.  Finally, Chapter
37 empowers a corporation, under  certain  circumstances,  to advance to an
individual  expenses  incurred  in  connection  with  an  action,  suit  or
proceeding prior to the final disposition thereof; and empowers a court  of
competent  jurisdiction,  in  certain  cases, to order indemnification of a
director or officer irrespective of whether the director or officer met the
standards of conduct set forth above.

     Reference  is made to Section 7.01 of  Article  VII  of  the  Restated
Articles of Incorporation  of  the registrant concerning indemnification of
directors and officers.

     The  registrant  has  obtained   directors'  and  officers'  liability
insurance, the effect of which is to indemnify  the  directors and officers
of the registrant against certain losses caused by an  error,  misstatement
or misleading statement, wrongful act, omission, neglect or breach  of duty
by them or any matter claimed against them in their capacities as directors
and officers.

Item 8.  Exhibits

     The  undersigned  registrant hereby undertakes to submit the plan  and
any amendments to the plan  to  the  Internal  Revenue  Service in a timely
manner and to make all changes required by the Internal Revenue  Service to
qualify the plan.  The list of Exhibits is incorporated herein by reference
to the Index to Exhibits at page 8.

Item 9.  Undertakings.

     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1)  To  file,  during  any period in which offers or sales are  being
made, a post-effective amendment  to this registration statement to include
any material information with respect  to  the  plan  of  distribution  not
previously  disclosed  in the registration statement or any material change
to such information in the registration statement;

     (2)  That, for the  purpose  of  determining  any  liability under the
Securities  Act  of  1933 (the "Securities Act"), each such  post-effective
amendment shall be deemed  to  be  a new registration statement relating to
the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that
time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     (3)  To  remove  from  registration   by  means  of  a  post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes  that,  for  purposes  of
determining  any  liability  under  the  Securities Act, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section  13(a)  or  Section 15(d) of
the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit
plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall  be deemed to
be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein,
and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed  to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.

     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to be
delivered  with  the  prospectus, to each person to whom the prospectus  is
sent  or given, the latest  annual  report  to  security  holders  that  is
incorporated  by  reference in the prospectus and furnished pursuant to and
meeting the requirements  of  Rule  14a-3  or Rule 14c-3 under the Exchange
Act; and, where interim financial information  required  to be presented by
Article  3  of  Regulation  S-X  are  not  set forth in the prospectus,  to
deliver, or cause to be delivered to each person  to whom the prospectus is
sent   or   given,  the  latest  quarterly  report  that  is   specifically
incorporated  by  reference  in  the  prospectus  to  provide  such interim
financial information.

     Insofar   as   indemnification   for  liabilities  arising  under  the
Securities  Act  may be permitted to directors,  officers  and  controlling
persons  of  the  registrant  pursuant  to  the  foregoing  provisions,  or
otherwise, the registrant  has  been  advised  that  in  the opinion of the
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is  against  public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
In  the  event  that  a  claim for indemnification against such liabilities
(other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a
director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful
defense of any action, suit  or  proceeding)  is asserted by such director,
officer  or  controlling  person in connection with  the  securities  being
registered, the registrant  will,  unless in the opinion of its counsel the
matter has been settled by controlling  precedent,  submit  to  a  court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against  public  policy  as  expressed  in  the  Securities Act and will be
governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

<PAGE>
                            SIGNATURES

     Pursuant  to  the  requirements of the Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
registrant certifies that  it  has  reasonable  grounds  to believe that it
meets  all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has  duly  caused
this registration  statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized,  in  the City of Indianapolis, State of Indiana,
on December 18, 1997.

                          MERIDIAN INSURANCE GROUP, INC.


                          By:          /S/ NORMA J. OMAN
                               Norma J. Oman,
                               President and
                               Chief Executive Officer



                         POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Pursuant to the requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933, this
registration  statement  has been signed below by the following persons  in
the capacities and on the  dates  indicated.   Each  person whose signature
appears  below hereby constitutes Norma J. Oman and Steven  R.  Hazelbaker,
and each of them singly, such person's true and lawful attorneys, with full
power to them and each of them to sign for such person and in such person's
name  and  capacity  indicated  below,  any  and  all  amendments  to  this
registration  statement,  hereby  ratifying  and  confirming  such person's
signature as it may be signed by said attorneys to any and all amendments.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
               SIGNATURE                           TITLE                       DATE
<S>                                     <C>                         <C>
                 /S/ NORMA J. OMAN      President, Chief Executive  December 18, 1997
Norma J. Oman                           Officer and Director
                                        (Principal Executive
                                        Officer)
             /S/ STEVEN R. HAZELBAKER   Vice President, Chief       December 18, 1997
Steven R. Hazelbaker                    Financial
                                        Officer and Treasurer
                                        (Principal
                                        Financial and Accounting
                                        Officer)
            /s/ Joseph D. Barnette, Jr. Director                    December 18, 1997
Joseph D. Barnette, Jr.
                /s/ John T. Hackett     Director                    December 18, 1997
 John T. Hackett
                /s/ Ramon L. Humke      Director                    December 18, 1997
Ramon L. Humke
                                        Director                    December 18, 1997
Sarah W. Rowland
                                        Director                    December 18, 1997
Van P. Smith
              /s/ Harold C. McCarthy    Director                    December 18, 1997
Harold C. McCarthy
                /s/ Thomas H. Sams      Director                    December 18, 1997
Thomas H. Sams
                 /s/ David M. Kirr      Director                    December 18, 1997
David M. Kirr
              /s/ Scott S. Broughton    Director                    December 18, 1997
Scott S. Broughton
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
                         INDEX TO EXHIBITS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
       Exhibit No.               Description of Exhibit                 Page Number
                                                                        This Filing
<S>                      <C>                                     <C>
          4 (C)          Meridian Insurance Group, Inc. 401(k)
                         Plan
         23 (A)          Written Consent of Coopers & Lybrand,
                         L.L.P.
</TABLE>
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "secsgml_size_bytes": 16756}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "MERIDIAN INSURANCE GROUP INC", "cik": "0000809801", "assigned-sic": "6331", "irs-number": "351689161", "state-of-incorporation": "IN", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-42771", "film-number": "97741547"}, "business-address": {"street1": "2955 N MERIDIAN ST", "street2": "PO BOX 1980", "city": "INDIANAPOLIS", "state": "IN", "zip": "46206-1980", "phone": "3179278100"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "P.O. BOX 1980", "city": "INDIANAPOLIS", "state": "IN", "zip": "46206-1980"}}
As filed with the Commission on December 18, 1997
                                       Registration No. 333-_____
=================================================================

                SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                      Washington, D.C.  20549
                         _________________

                             FORM S-8
                      REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                               Under
                    The Securities Act of 1933
                    __________________________

                  MERIDIAN INSURANCE GROUP, INC.
      (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

              INDIANA                        35-1689161
   (State or other jurisdiction           (I.R.S. Employer
         of incorporation                Identification No.)
         or organization)

    2955 NORTH MERIDIAN STREET               46206-1980
       POST OFFICE BOX 1980                  (Zip Code)
       INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
       (Address of Principal
        Executive Offices)
                           ____________

            MERIDIAN INSURANCE GROUP, INC. 401(K) PLAN
                     (Full title of the plan)

                         J. MARK MCKINZIE
                  MERIDIAN INSURANCE GROUP, INC.
                    2955 NORTH MERIDIAN STREET
                       POST OFFICE BOX 1980
                 INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46206-1980
              (Name and address of agent for service)

                          (317) 927-8100
              (Telephone number, including area code,
                       of agent for service)

                            COPIES TO:
                         Tibor D. Klopfer
                          Baker & Daniels
               300 North Meridian Street, Suite 2700
                    Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
                          _______________

                  CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of Securities Amount to be        Proposed Maximum    Proposed Maximum   Amount of
to be Registered    Registered*         Offering Price      Aggregate Offering Registration
                                        Per Share*          Price*             Fee*
Common Shares,      15,000 Shares       $16.19              $242,850           $71.64
without par value
*Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h) based upon the average of the high and low prices for
the Common Shares, as reported on the Nasdaq National Market System on December 15, 1997.  In
addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement
also covers an indeterminate amount of interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the employee
benefit plan described herein.
FORM S-8
                   Registration Statement Under
                    The Securities Act of 1933

                  MERIDIAN INSURANCE GROUP, INC.

                              PART II

        INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

     The  Company's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 1996 (File No. 0-11413) and the information set forth under the caption
"Description of Registrant's  Securities to be Registered" in the Company's
Registration Statement on Form  8-A  filed pursuant to Section 12(g) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange  Act")  (File  No. 0-11413),
including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating  such
description, are incorporated herein by reference.  All other reports filed
pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the
fiscal  year  for  which  audited financial statements are contained in the
annual report described above  are  incorporated  herein by reference.  All
documents filed by the Company pursuant to Sections  13(a),  13(c),  14, or
15(d)  of  the  Exchange  Act  after  the  date  hereof  and  prior  to the
termination  of  the  offering  of  the  securities offered hereby shall be
deemed to be incorporated by reference herein  and to be a part hereof from
the date of filing of such documents with the Commission.  The Company will
promptly  provide without charge to each person to  whom  a  prospectus  is
delivered,  a  copy  of  any  or all information that has been incorporated
herein by reference (not including  exhibits  to  the  information  that is
incorporated   by   reference   unless   such   exhibits  are  specifically
incorporated by reference into such information),  upon the written or oral
request  of such person directed to the Secretary of  the  Company  at  its
principal offices, 2955 North Meridian Street, P.O. Box 1980, Indianapolis,
Indiana 46206.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     Chapter  37  of  the  Indiana  Business  Corporation  Law  empowers  a
corporation  to  indemnify  any  individual  who  was  or  is a party or is
threatened  to  be  made  a  party to any threatened, pending or  completed
action,  suit or proceeding, whether  civil,  criminal,  administrative  or
investigative and whether formal or informal, by reason of the fact that he
is or was  a  director,  officer,  employee or agent of the corporation or,
while a director of a corporation, is  or was serving at the request of the
corporation  as  a director, officer, partner,  member,  manager,  trustee,
employee or agent  of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership,
limited liability company,  joint  venture, trust, employee benefit plan or
other enterprise, whether for profit  or  not,  against reasonable expenses
(including  counsel  fees),  judgments,  fines (including  any  excise  tax
assessed with respect to an employee benefit  plan),  penalties and amounts
paid in settlement incurred by him in connection with such  action, suit or
proceeding (i) if he acted in good faith, and (ii) in the case  of  conduct
in  his  official  capacity with the corporation, if he reasonably believed
his conduct was in the  best  interests of the corporation or, in all other
cases, if he reasonably believed  his  conduct  was at least not opposed to
the  best  interests  of the corporation (or with respect  to  an  employee
benefit plan, if he reasonably believed his conduct was in the interests of
the participants in and  beneficiaries of the plan), and (iii) with respect
to any criminal action or proceeding, if he had reasonable cause to believe
his conduct was lawful or  no  reasonable  cause to believe his conduct was
unlawful.

     Chapter 37 further provides that a corporation  shall,  unless limited
by its articles of incorporation, indemnify a director or officer  who  was
wholly  successful,  on  the  merits  or  otherwise,  in the defense of any
action, suit or proceeding to which he was a party because  he  is or was a
director or officer of the corporation against reasonable expenses incurred
by  him  in  connection  therewith.   Chapter 37 expressly states that  the
indemnification  thereby provided does not  exclude  any  other  rights  to
indemnification to  which  a person may be entitled.  Chapter 37 empowers a
corporation to purchase and  maintain  insurance on behalf of an individual
who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or
who, while a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, is or
was  serving  at the request of the corporation  as  a  director,  officer,
partner, member,  manager, trustee, employee or agent of another foreign or
domestic  corporation,   partnership,   limited  liability  company,  joint
venture,  trust,  employee  benefit  plan  or   other  enterprise,  against
liability asserted against or incurred by the individual  in  that capacity
or arising from the individual's status as a director, officer, employee or
agent,  whether  or  not the corporation would have power to indemnify  the
individual against the  same  liability under Chapter 37.  Finally, Chapter
37 empowers a corporation, under  certain  circumstances,  to advance to an
individual  expenses  incurred  in  connection  with  an  action,  suit  or
proceeding prior to the final disposition thereof; and empowers a court  of
competent  jurisdiction,  in  certain  cases, to order indemnification of a
director or officer irrespective of whether the director or officer met the
standards of conduct set forth above.

     Reference  is made to Section 7.01 of  Article  VII  of  the  Restated
Articles of Incorporation  of  the registrant concerning indemnification of
directors and officers.

     The  registrant  has  obtained   directors'  and  officers'  liability
insurance, the effect of which is to indemnify  the  directors and officers
of the registrant against certain losses caused by an  error,  misstatement
or misleading statement, wrongful act, omission, neglect or breach  of duty
by them or any matter claimed against them in their capacities as directors
and officers.

Item 8.  Exhibits

     The  undersigned  registrant hereby undertakes to submit the plan  and
any amendments to the plan  to  the  Internal  Revenue  Service in a timely
manner and to make all changes required by the Internal Revenue  Service to
qualify the plan.  The list of Exhibits is incorporated herein by reference
to the Index to Exhibits at page 8.

Item 9.  Undertakings.

     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1)  To  file,  during  any period in which offers or sales are  being
made, a post-effective amendment  to this registration statement to include
any material information with respect  to  the  plan  of  distribution  not
previously  disclosed  in the registration statement or any material change
to such information in the registration statement;

     (2)  That, for the  purpose  of  determining  any  liability under the
Securities  Act  of  1933 (the "Securities Act"), each such  post-effective
amendment shall be deemed  to  be  a new registration statement relating to
the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that
time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     (3)  To  remove  from  registration   by  means  of  a  post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes  that,  for  purposes  of
determining  any  liability  under  the  Securities Act, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section  13(a)  or  Section 15(d) of
the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit
plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall  be deemed to
be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein,
and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed  to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.

     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to be
delivered  with  the  prospectus, to each person to whom the prospectus  is
sent  or given, the latest  annual  report  to  security  holders  that  is
incorporated  by  reference in the prospectus and furnished pursuant to and
meeting the requirements  of  Rule  14a-3  or Rule 14c-3 under the Exchange
Act; and, where interim financial information  required  to be presented by
Article  3  of  Regulation  S-X  are  not  set forth in the prospectus,  to
deliver, or cause to be delivered to each person  to whom the prospectus is
sent   or   given,  the  latest  quarterly  report  that  is   specifically
incorporated  by  reference  in  the  prospectus  to  provide  such interim
financial information.

     Insofar   as   indemnification   for  liabilities  arising  under  the
Securities  Act  may be permitted to directors,  officers  and  controlling
persons  of  the  registrant  pursuant  to  the  foregoing  provisions,  or
otherwise, the registrant  has  been  advised  that  in  the opinion of the
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is  against  public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
In  the  event  that  a  claim for indemnification against such liabilities
(other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a
director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful
defense of any action, suit  or  proceeding)  is asserted by such director,
officer  or  controlling  person in connection with  the  securities  being
registered, the registrant  will,  unless in the opinion of its counsel the
matter has been settled by controlling  precedent,  submit  to  a  court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against  public  policy  as  expressed  in  the  Securities Act and will be
governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
SIGNATURES

     Pursuant  to  the  requirements of the Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
registrant certifies that  it  has  reasonable  grounds  to believe that it
meets  all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has  duly  caused
this registration  statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized,  in  the City of Indianapolis, State of Indiana,
on December 18, 1997.

                          MERIDIAN INSURANCE GROUP, INC.

                          By:          /S/ NORMA J. OMAN
                               Norma J. Oman,
                               President and
                               Chief Executive Officer

                         POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Pursuant to the requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933, this
registration  statement  has been signed below by the following persons  in
the capacities and on the  dates  indicated.   Each  person whose signature
appears  below hereby constitutes Norma J. Oman and Steven  R.  Hazelbaker,
and each of them singly, such person's true and lawful attorneys, with full
power to them and each of them to sign for such person and in such person's
name  and  capacity  indicated  below,  any  and  all  amendments  to  this
registration  statement,  hereby  ratifying  and  confirming  such person's
signature as it may be signed by said attorneys to any and all amendments.
SIGNATURE                           TITLE                       DATE
/S/ NORMA J. OMAN      President, Chief Executive  December 18, 1997
Norma J. Oman                           Officer and Director
                                        (Principal Executive
                                        Officer)
             /S/ STEVEN R. HAZELBAKER   Vice President, Chief       December 18, 1997
Steven R. Hazelbaker                    Financial
                                        Officer and Treasurer
                                        (Principal
                                        Financial and Accounting
                                        Officer)
            /s/ Joseph D. Barnette, Jr. Director                    December 18, 1997
Joseph D. Barnette, Jr.
                /s/ John T. Hackett     Director                    December 18, 1997
 John T. Hackett
                /s/ Ramon L. Humke      Director                    December 18, 1997
Ramon L. Humke
                                        Director                    December 18, 1997
Sarah W. Rowland
                                        Director                    December 18, 1997
Van P. Smith
              /s/ Harold C. McCarthy    Director                    December 18, 1997
Harold C. McCarthy
                /s/ Thomas H. Sams      Director                    December 18, 1997
Thomas H. Sams
                 /s/ David M. Kirr      Director                    December 18, 1997
David M. Kirr
              /s/ Scott S. Broughton    Director                    December 18, 1997
Scott S. Broughton
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit No.               Description of Exhibit                 Page Number
                                                                        This Filing
4 (C)          Meridian Insurance Group, Inc. 401(k)
                         Plan
         23 (A)          Written Consent of Coopers & Lybrand,
                         L.L.P.