Letter writing has a long history dating back to 500 BC. Kings, governments, and militaries were among the first to use letters as a means of communication. Couriers would deliver letters by running long distances or using relay systems with horses. Common writing materials evolved from leaves and tree bark to papyrus to parchment and paper. The first sealed and handwritten letter was sent by a Persian queen in 500 BC. Modern postal systems developed in the 19th century with prepaid stamps allowing universal delivery of letters.

1. FACTS ON
LETTER
WRITING
S. SUDHAPRINCELY

2. History of Letters •For a long time, letters were
only a tool of Kings,
Government & Militaries.
• Greeks employed athlete
runners to deliver their
mails.
•Philonides, the courier man
of King Alexander the Great
ran of about 148 miles a day.

3. •Philippides, the one who
acted as messenger, on
account of showing a courier
run from Marathon to
Athens to announce victory
of Romans over the
Persians.

4. • Arabs used pigeons.
• Romans, the Caesar
had a relay similar to
the Persians, with
stopping points or
‘post houses’, where
couriers and their
horses could rest.

5. • According to the testimony of ancient
historian Hellanicus the first recorded
hand written letter (epistle) was by Persian
Queen Atossa daughter of Syrus, 500 BC.
• The leaves of plants and the bark of trees
advanced the use of writing.
• Egyptians, Papyrus became so popular a
writing material.
• When it was limited within East, Saxons
used the bark of the birch tree, called boc,
from whence comes the word book.

6. • The style (pen) used in ancient times was
made from wood, metal or bone shaped to
a point.
• A reed was used on papyrus and
parchment dipped in Indian/China ink,
made from the secretion of cuttlefish.
• The 5th century saw the use of (goose)
quills in Saxon England.
• Lead pencils were used in ancient Greece
but only as a temporary marker to be
rubbed out later. It was from the 14th
century that pencils made from a lead
composite became popular and in common
use as a writing implement.

7. • About the 10th century cotton paper
which was in common use.
• A great advance in writing material came
in the 14th century with the introduction
of paper made from linen rags. This
method of making paper continued for
several hundred years.
• The Roman Emperor Trajan commanded
that positus (carriers) be stationed at
regular distances with chariots waiting to
transport important documents, this is
where the word post is derived.

8. • Prior to 1840 letters were delivered by
courier, coach or horse rider. The
receiver of the letter had to pay on its
receipt and the cost was dependent on the
number of pages and distance travelled.
• To prevent the contents of the letter
from being read by others they were
sealed using a coloured wax with ring or
handheld seal.
• In May 1840 Great Britain introduced the
first prepaid stamp nationwide postal
delivery service, with the Penny Black
stamp (portrait of the young Queen
Victoria) This was soon followed by other
countries introducing similar systems.