What did the Romans use for long distance communication?

Answer 1

If a leader were in Rome and wanted to get an order or letter to someone in a province he used the good road system and messengers. The secure sea lanes were used if necessary. If the leader were a military commander wanting to communicate with his troops who may have been scattered over a distance, he would use his cavalry men as messengers. At times signal fires were also used in the field.

If a leader were in Rome and wanted to get an order or letter to someone in a province he used the good road system and messengers. The secure sea lanes were used if necessary. If the leader were a military commander wanting to communicate with his troops who may have been scattered over a distance, he would use his cavalry men as messengers. At times signal fires were also used in the field.

If a leader were in Rome and wanted to get an order or letter to someone in a province he used the good road system and messengers. The secure sea lanes were used if necessary. If the leader were a military commander wanting to communicate with his troops who may have been scattered over a distance, he would use his cavalry men as messengers. At times signal fires were also used in the field.

If a leader were in Rome and wanted to get an order or letter to someone in a province he used the good road system and messengers. The secure sea lanes were used if necessary. If the leader were a military commander wanting to communicate with his troops who may have been scattered over a distance, he would use his cavalry men as messengers. At times signal fires were also used in the field.

If a leader were in Rome and wanted to get an order or letter to someone in a province he used the good road system and messengers. The secure sea lanes were used if necessary. If the leader were a military commander wanting to communicate with his troops who may have been scattered over a distance, he would use his cavalry men as messengers. At times signal fires were also used in the field.

If a leader were in Rome and wanted to get an order or letter to someone in a province he used the good road system and messengers. The secure sea lanes were used if necessary. If the leader were a military commander wanting to communicate with his troops who may have been scattered over a distance, he would use his cavalry men as messengers. At times signal fires were also used in the field.

If a leader were in Rome and wanted to get an order or letter to someone in a province he used the good road system and messengers. The secure sea lanes were used if necessary. If the leader were a military commander wanting to communicate with his troops who may have been scattered over a distance, he would use his cavalry men as messengers. At times signal fires were also used in the field.

If a leader were in Rome and wanted to get an order or letter to someone in a province he used the good road system and messengers. The secure sea lanes were used if necessary. If the leader were a military commander wanting to communicate with his troops who may have been scattered over a distance, he would use his cavalry men as messengers. At times signal fires were also used in the field.

If a leader were in Rome and wanted to get an order or letter to someone in a province he used the good road system and messengers. The secure sea lanes were used if necessary. If the leader were a military commander wanting to communicate with his troops who may have been scattered over a distance, he would use his cavalry men as messengers. At times signal fires were also used in the field.

Answer 2

Since the Roman Empire was centred of the Mediterranean, ships were an important means of transport and communication. Boats were used to sail rivers.

The key to the Roman overland system of communication were the roads. The Romans build a vast road network around the Roman Empire which totalled 400,000 kilometres. The roads had mansiones (staying places, singular mansio) every 20 to 30 km (15 to 18 miles) which were refreshment and resting places for government officials. Other people went to the smaller cauponae (private inns) near the masiones. They were seen as being disreputable and as being were frequented by thieves and prostitutes. Tabernae developed to cater for richer travellers, which were originally hoses near the roads which were required by law to provide accommodation on demand. They developed into hostels which were more luxurious than the cauponae.

About 20% of the Roman roads (80,500km, 50,313 miles) were the famous stone-paved roads. They had a military purpose. They made the movement of soldiers and the delivery of supplies to troops at the front or stationed in garrisons much easier and faster. They were also used for general travel and the transport of goods for trade. Their military nature was also shown in by the fact that they were usually built on a straight line, even when they crossed hilly areas. Traders also used these roads to transport their goods. They complained that the straight tracts over steep gradients made it very difficult for their laden wagons. After these complaints at least some of these tracts were redesigned to allow for less steep gradients.

People walked (pedestrians could cover 20 to 25 km, 12 to 15 miles, a day) or travelled on ox-drawn carts, horse-drawn (which could cover up to 40 to 50 km, 25 to 30 miles, a day) or coaches which could carry coach parties. The most common one was the raeda which was made of wood and was like a high box with a rounded roof. It could carry people and luggage up to a legal limit of 1,000 Romans pounds.. There were also the readae meritoriae, which were hired coaches and the fiscalis raeda, which were government coaches.

The rich rode horses or used cars (carrus) which could carry a driver and one or two people. A two-horse carrus was called biga, a three-horse one triga and a four-horse one quadringa. They resembled the chariots of the archaic period of Rome. The carpentum was a more comfortable mule-drawn carrus which was for women and government officials. It was roofed with a piece of material held by an arched frame. The cisium was a smaller version which acted as a cab.

There were also a courier services. One of this were government dispatch riders who, though a relay system could cover 800 km in 24 hours. The private mail of the rich was dispatched by the tabelarii, slaves who carried out the service for a price. Ordinary mail was transported by a vehicle called cisium.

Answer 3

If a leader were in Rome and wanted to get an order or letter to someone in a province he used the good road system and messengers. The secure sea lanes were used if necessary. If the leader were a military commander wanting to communicate with his troops who may have been scattered over a distance, he would use his cavalry men as messengers. At times signal fires were also used in the field.