In these days of tweets, Facebook, texting, and global news,
it’s hard to imagine ancient times when most news never traveled
farther than about 20 miles. You might never learn about events
that happened a continent away, even if the event was an enemy
invasion or an earthquake or a shipwreck. So when a traveler
passed through town, everyone was eager to hear the news he
brought (or she, but usually he). Everyday news spread by people
talking face to face. The local marketplace was a good place to
hear news, as was the local well, where women shared news when
they got together to draw water each day. Sometimes people
shouted news from rooftop to rooftop. If a message traveled by
word of mouth, it was said to be sent by “the bird’s wing.” Of
course, official government messengers traveled from town to
town on business, carrying sealed scrolls or verbal messages,
but they did not carry letters from common people. When
commoners wanted to send a letter, they either hired a person
for the job or sent the message