In early historic times, as in modern times, there was a need for long-distance communication as well as for battlefield signalling. Emperors, generals, and the privileged members of society had to maintain control and conduct diplomatic, military, trade and governmental affairs within their, sometimes widespread, empires. Societies can develop and advance only so fast as they can develop means of acquiring, recording and disseminating information, and the progression from the earliest communities to the highly organised industrial states of today is one long story of improved means of communication. The word “communication” comes from the Latin “communico” (“I share”). With its development, so the benefits of social sharing, the production of wealth, state protection, democracy and culture have increased. Ancient civilisations, particularly those of the Greeks and of the Romans, have left quite extensive accounts of their military and naval engagements, but few accounts of the detailed communication means by which these engagements were strategically and tactically planned and undertaken are extant.

Inspec keywords: telecommunication signalling; information dissemination; military communication; recording

Other keywords: trade affairs; governmental affairs; naval engagements; Romans; information dissemination; ancient civilisations; battlefield signalling; Greeks; long-distance communication; military engagements; ancient communication; information recording; military affairs; social sharing; information acquisition; democracy; culture; conduct diplomatic affairs

Subjects: Military communications