Which ancient empire built the Royal Road?
Quick answer
The Royal Road was built and maintained by the Persian (Achaemenid) Empire, mainly under King Darius I in the 5th century BC. It ran about 2,700 km (1,700 mi) from Sardis in western Turkey to Susa in western Iran. Relay riders could carry royal messages along it in about 7–9 days, a trip that took three months on foot.
The world’s first superpower
The Achaemenid Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great around 550 BC, stretched from Egypt and Greece’s borders to the Indus River. Running such a vast empire required fast communication, so the Persians built a network of roads linking their provinces, called satrapies.
How the relay system worked
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stations | About 111 waystations, roughly a day’s ride apart |
| Riders | Fresh horses and messengers waited at each station |
| Service | Called the angarium, an ancient postal system |
| Speed | Messages crossed the road in about a week |
The Greek historian Herodotus admired the couriers, writing that nothing stopped them from completing their stage as fast as possible. His line was adapted into the unofficial motto carved on New York’s main post office: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
More than a road
- Armies and tax collectors traveled along it.
- Traders carried goods, helping the empire’s economy.
- Royal inspectors, called the “King’s Eyes and Ears,” used it to check on governors.
The road’s legacy
Parts of the Royal Road were later used by Alexander the Great, who conquered Persia in the 330s BC, and by Roman and Silk Road traders.
Other great ancient roads
| Road | Empire |
|---|---|
| Royal Road | Persia |
| Appian Way (Via Appia) | Rome |
| Qhapaq Ñan | Inca; see the Inca road system |
| Silk Road | A network across Asia, not one empire |
Rome’s roads also carried salt to the city; see was salt ever used as money.
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