Unit 6 Royal Road

The map of Achaemenid Empire and the Royal Road.

The Persian Royal Road was an ancient highway built by the Persian king Darius I of Achaemenid Empire in the 5th Century BC. Darius built the road to facilitate rapid communication throughout his very large empire from Susa to Sardis. His couriers could travel 1,677 miles (2,699 km) in seven days. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote, “There is nothing in the world that travels faster than these Persian couriers.” Herodotus’ praise for these messengers — “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness of night prevents them from accomplishing the task proposed to them with the very utmost speed” — is the inspiration for the unofficial motto of postal carriers.