Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-02-01
HOW ANCIENTROMANs
CARRIED THE MAILS
Slaves Sometimes Had Letters
Dyed Into Their Scalps
to Deliver.

One of the greatest civil commissions
of antiquity which attracts our atten-
ton, incites most our curiosity. and
with which we are SO little acquainted,
is the mail system of the Romans
When the Roman mails were first es-
tablished they We're very poorly con-
Quoted, but We know that they existed
in the time of the republic, and grew
rapidly with the great political organ
izations and with the construction of
the military-commercial roads; as, for
instance. the Appian Way. which led
southwark from Rome to Brindisi (be-
gun by Appius Claudius in the year
BIZ ID. Co and the Flaminian Way,
which led northward from Rome by
way of Rinlini to Aquiliea, and which
was constructed bv Flaminius Nepos
in the Year 22l b. c..
1T is certain that the Romans got
their idea of the mails from the Greeks,
SO much so that they adapted the
word hangariae, from the Greek worn
learned men that the Greeks in their
turn got their ideas on this subject
from the Persians.
The Roman mail, or cursus publicus
as 1T was called, was for a long time
used as the exclusive instrument of the
government. and private persons were
obliged to use their slaves as letter car
riers. Such persons, for instance, were
used by Cicero to carry his epistles to
his friend Atticus. then residing in
Athens; and it seems that in those
times, as in the later times of Richie
lieu. Napoleon and Metternich. it was
the custom of the government officials
to delay. and even Open, the letters OF
private persons, if we may believe tina
same Cicero himself. who protested
firmly, accusing Antony. his eternal
enemy, OF having violated the public
faith.
Letters were written with the style
on the tabelia pugillaris, that is. waxed
tablets. or written with ink on parch-
ment.
In the case OF letters that required
great secrecy. or those hat were Of
great Importance. the slave was COM
PEELED by his master to commit the
message to memory; or in other cases
the head of the slave was shaved and
tine communication written with dye
on the scalp, after which the hair was
permitted to grow and the slave sent
on his mission.
the Roman mails We're n private mat
ter; but the cursus publicus was any
thing but chat. possessing an OrganiZa-.
ton that was marvellous. 1t was main
tanned by the project of the praetor and
intrusted to the directors of the trans
" " % NAAO0O u ~ was
to watch the special fun%ctionaries
(agentes in rebus).
Caesars improvements.
Julius Caesar. who desired to COM
muntcatc more rapidly and with great
err regularity with the provinces. espe-
cially Gaul, divided the mails n two
d~ivisions-fast and slow. The fast mail
was carried by messengers drawn by
the ~fieetest horses, which were changed
at stations (stationes) placed at con-
venient points along the military roads.
These last named stations were sit
uated about 20 miles apart. and had
in constant readiness about 20 horses
for the use Of the couriers. They were
equipped with veter!naries and with
carpenters.
On the roads, about 100 miles apart.
were placed the houses Of the mes
sengers (mansiones), that is to say,
about n days journey, and were fully
provided with provisions and arms for
foraging. and were in charge of a sup
crvisor called q prepositus or manceps.
h service. was organized In such a
way that the Journey from Rome to
Gaul took from seven to eight days.
No people understood better than the
Romans the advantages Of a perfect
mail system. especially az a military
factor. The service was perfected by
struck In honor OF vespasian. we read
the inscription, ''Vehiculatione Italiae
Remisse:" SO also of Antonius Plus, Of
whom 1t was written, "Vehicularum
summa diligentia s~ublevavit."
We learn from the code Of Theodosius
(%section W the dimensions Of the ve-
hicles. which were: The rheda, a wagon
on four wheels. with a capacity Of 1000
pounds. drawn by eight mules in sum-
mer and IL In winter; the cistum, a
two wheeled wagon: the carpentum. q
covered wagon on two wheels, drawn
by two mules: and a cabula, e military
transport, drawn almost entirely by
oxen.
The regulations of the cursus pub
licus were OF the severest order. and
great were the dangers Of the mes
sengers. so much SO. that as a punish
ment for their beliefs the early Christ
ians were compelled to act as couriers;
and 1t was Pope Marcellus / that was
condemned as a caretaker Of the horses
In the stations of the messengers.
hibited. and all persons were compelled
by law to lend aid In time Of need to
the messengers.
The Romans also had a maritime
mail service. the chief sea Of which is
not known; but 1t is generally sup-
posed that It was situated at Ostia. ut
the mouth Of the river Tiber.
The Roman mail service was doomed
with the barbarian ~invasions: but such
was its stability that. Notwithstanding
the ravages Of the barbarians, It was
stili used to q certain extent by the
GOthe and OStrOgOths In later centur.
les.
During the Sixth and Eighth centur-
lea many Of the laws and customs Of
the Romans were adapted BY the Iom-
0ards; but h one person who alone