The Bearers of Business Letters in Roman Egypt

Abstract

In the absence of a postal service available to all, letters exchanged between the inhabitants of Roman Egypt were most often transmitted with the help of informal bearers whose task was not limited to carrying a letter: they brought or collected goods, helped the recipients, sometimes received assistance, facilitated money transfer, performed escort and police duties, and more generally they were an essential link within a wide social network. This short study not only covers formal aspects, such as terminology or the place of the bearer in the structure of a business letter, but also provides a description of the role of the bearers and of their interaction with both senders and recipients.

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