Persian couriers facts for kids
Persian couriers were ancient mounted messengers (despatch riders) kept ready at regular stages throughout old Persia for carrying the royal despatches at the time of the Achaemenid Empire.
Terminology
In Ancient Greek, Persian courier was called ἄγγαρος (ángaros, “Persian mounted courier”), whence Latin angarius, which is probably from an East Asian language (e.g., Sanskrit अजिरा (ajirā, “agile, swift”)). The word "angel" (ἄγγελος) is probably loaned from and related to Greek ἄγγαρος.
History
In about 440 BC, Herodotus wrote in The Histories (book 8.98) about the Persian couriers:
Nothing mortal travels so fast as these Persian messengers. The entire plan is a Persian invention; and this is the method of it. Along the whole line of road there are men (they say) stationed with horses, in number equal to the number of days which the journey takes, allowing a man and horse to each day; and these men will not be hindered from accomplishing at their best speed the distance which they have to go, either by snow, rain, heat, or by the darkness of night. The first rider delivers his despatch to the second and the second passes it to the third; and so it is borne from hand to hand along the whole line, like the light in the torch-race, which the Greeks celebrate to Vulcan. The Persians give the riding post in this manner, the name of Angarum.
Paraphrase of the Herodotus description was used by the United States Postal Service as a motto on the entrance to the Central Post Office building in New York City: "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
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