Communication · c. 20 BCE
Cursus publicus
Augustus builds a state courier and transport network along Rome's roads.
Established by Augustus, the cursus publicus used stations along roads covering tens of thousands of kilometres to move officials, dispatches and taxes. It held the Roman Empire together for centuries and survived in Byzantium.
What it built on 3
What it led to 1
Related measurements
The dashed line marks when it first worked.
Letters and parcels handled in the UK Latest: 16.7B items per year (1993) Source: Our World in Data