How plausible would it be for the Romans to set up a post for carrier pigeons to carry messages around the empire?
How plausible would it be for the Romans to set up a post for carrier pigeons to carry messages around the empire?
How plausible would it be for the Romans to set up a post for carrier pigeons to carry messages around the empire?
Hmmm, I did not know that Herzen. Quite an interesting anecdote. Is there any way their use could become more regular, at least at the military level.
There's no positive mention in Caesar's works that he used pigeons. It's a possibility, but given the absence of it and the mention of messengers and messages that fell into Caesar's hands (and when he cut the hands of said messengers), it's best considering he used more traditionnal features.I'm not sure we really know the extent they were used, militarily. Only that I doubt it stopped with Julius Caesar.
Part of the problem with carrier pigeons is that you have to have a pigeon breeding center in every city you want to send messages
I believe meat pidgeons where at least known...
There's no need to speculate about what would be needed to have that, or if Romans knew that pigeons had another use than being eaten.Pliny's natural history said:In addition to this, pigeons have acted as messengers in affairs of importance. During the siege of Mutina, Decimus Brutus, who was in the town, sent despatches to the camp of the consuls fastened to pigeons' feet. Of what use to Antony then were his intrenchments, and all the vigilance of the be- sieging army? his nets, too, which he had spread in the river, while the messenger of the besieged was cleaving the air?
Many persons have quite a mania for pigeons—Building towns for them on the top of their roofs, and taking a pleasure in relating the pedigree and noble origin of each. Of this there is an ancient instance that is very remarkable; L. Axius, a Roman of the equestrian order, shortly before the Civil War of Pompeius, sold a single pair for four hundred denarii, as we learn from the writings of M. Varro. Countries even have gained renown for their pigeons; it is thought that those of Campania attain the largest size.
Using the source mentioned just above :
There's no need to speculate about what would be needed to have that, or if Romans knew that pigeons had another use than being eaten.
Nothing is said about that.But no one could pigeon-post messages TO him.
Well I agree, critically with the efficiency of road network.But a postal network equivalent sending messages from any of several dozen cities to any of the others, which is what I understood the challenge to be, would be complex, take a lot of work, and be very expensive for limited return.