UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone!
  Castle Quest
  Medieval Life And Culture
  Speed

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   Speed
Maria
Moderator
posted 03-12-2006 12:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Maria   Click Here to Email Maria     Edit/Delete Message
If a king wanted to send an urgent message to another king (from Paris to Rome, say) how fast would the message arrive? And if you want to make it faster, the messenger would have to change horses on the way?

Peter
Member
posted 03-13-2006 06:58 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Peter   Click Here to Email Peter     Edit/Delete Message
Phew!
A lot would depend on the time of year of course. As many roads did not really come into existence until the late 18th Cen. as we know them. Horses, sad to say, were sometimes ridden to the death, or near enough. Paris to Rome I don't know.
But somewhere in the U.K. ... say Chester to London. A good 200+ miles, could be achieved in 24hrs, or less. But that is staying in the same country. Crossing another country (or two!), could be even more complicated.
Peter

Levan
Moderator
posted 03-13-2006 10:05 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Levan   Click Here to Email Levan     Edit/Delete Message
Pigeons were often used for messages that needed to be transmitted urgently. This obviously depended on a pre-existing communication network between those wishing to communicate - important people often had representatives in different locations (a precursor to the Embassy system) who would be responsible for handling communications on their behalf.

Sometimes messages would be passed between several intermediate places, so only the very last part of the journey (if at all) needed to be done by horse and rider.

The Romans were used carrier pigeons as means for relaying messages. Pigeons were recorded as used in Baghdad in 1150, although the most widespread usage is repted to be by Genghis Khan who established pigeon relay posts across and Asia and much of Eastern Europe.

In 1850 Reuters started his stock-market information service with 45 pigeons that were used to pass messages between Brussels and Aachen in Germany. This journey took the pigeons two hours - six hours faster than the railway line. Quite how long this journey would take by horse - I've no idea.

Pigeons were still used in the second world war (some winning medals); and indeed, even in today's age of satelite communication Reuters is believed still to have pigeons available in difficult locations as part of its Global communications network. Pigeons were also used to pass messages in the recent gulf war.

Levan

[This message has been edited by Levan (edited 03-13-2006).]

Peter
Member
posted 03-14-2006 03:35 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Peter   Click Here to Email Peter     Edit/Delete Message
Can't believe I forgot about the good old pigeon!
Peter

Merlin
Senior Member
posted 03-15-2006 04:04 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Merlin   Click Here to Email Merlin     Edit/Delete Message
Communication needed time in the middle ages... very much time. During my time at university I did research about envoys in carolingian times (8th to 10th century). The carolingian kings and emperors had many diplomatic contacts with other kings in europe (from Wessex to Denmark, from Saxony to the pope in Rome), but also with the emperor in Constantiopolis, with Jerusalem and Baghdad. To bring a message to the Bosporus took an envoy several months. They used to travel by ship from Italy or the south of France. Also for voyages within Europe, ships were prefered because the roads were that bad. Imagine that it was almost impossible to cross the Alps during winter!

It always was a dangerous journey, and many envoys didn't come back at all: They were killed by the kings enemys underway, caught by pirates or their ship sunk in a storm.

All times are PT (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | Castles on the Web

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Version 5.40
© Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 1999.



Castles on the WebHome
Castles on the WebIntroduction
Castles on the WebCastle Quest
Castles on the WebSite of the Day
Castles on the WebCastle Tours
Castles on the WebCastle Collections
Castles on the WebNew Sites
Castles on the WebPopular Sites
Castles on the WebPhoto Archive
Castles on the WebMiscellaneous
Castles on the WebCastles for Kids
Castles on the WebCastle Glossary
Castles on the WebPalaces & Homes
Castles on the WebMedieval Studies
Castles on the WebAccommodations
Castles on the WebTop Rated
Castles on the WebCastle Postcards
Castles on the WebHeraldry Links
Castles on the WebMyths & Legends
Castles on the WebOrganizations
Castles on the WebCastle Books
Castles on the WebAbbeys & Churches
Castles on the WebWeapons/Supplies
Castles on the WebRandom Site
Castles on the WebAdd A Castle Site
Castles on the WebAcknowledgements
Castles on the WebSearch Options
Castles on the WebPlease Help Us!
Castles on the WebPlease Link To Us
Castles on the WebContact Us

Castles on the Web Copyright 1995- | Privacy Policy