Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 420: Receiving news across the sea(2)

Chapter 420: Receiving news across the sea(2)

The transmission of information across distances has always been one of the cornerstones of a stable and functioning society, whether in the realms of governance, commerce, or war. The question of how to convey a message to another person, especially when they are far beyond the reach of one's sight, has long been a challenge for any leader, commander, ruler, but also to the common person.

One of the simplest and most efficient methods for long distances is to entrust a letter to a messenger, typically mounted on horseback. This system, while rudimentary, has stood the test of time as a reliable way to send messages, especially during times of conflict.

A general on the battlefield, for instance, would often issue orders and receive vital reports through this very means—an effective solution for relaying crucial information when speed is of the essence.

This method was, in fact, so crucial to military logistics and civil one that the Romans, ever pragmatic in their approach, established a state-funded courier service. Their empire was vast, and to keep it running smoothly, they set up a network of well-maintained roads, each with designated stations where horses could be swapped out, allowing messengers to travel far more swiftly without exhaustion.

But even with the Romans' network and the horse-mounted couriers, there remained a fundamental limitation. For smaller distances, this system was flawless. A rider could swiftly carry a message from one army to another, or from one city to a neighboring town. However, when dealing with the enormous expanses that stretched between distant cities or even between sovereign states, the travel time could become cumbersome. A horse might carry a message with the speed of the wind, but when cities were days, even weeks apart, the message could often feel like a slow drip, trickling its way across the map.

In addition to using messengers on horseback, one of the most ingenious methods of communication in the ancient world was through pigeon post. Pigeons, particularly homing pigeons, possess a remarkable inborn ability to navigate their way home, no matter how far they may travel. This extraordinary sense of direction made them invaluable for long-distance communication, even when other methods were too slow or cumbersome.