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Use and disadvantages of using messengers

Answer Text:
Running messengers.
- Sometimes there was use of trust worthy runners for very personal and urgent messages.
- However, the accuracy of the message delivered depended on the memory of the messenger.
- An Athenian soldier, Phidippides, is remembered in history as
a great messenger for covering great distance from Marathon to Athens.
- Unfortunately, he dropped dead shortly after arrival.
- The Marathon race is named in his honour.
- Messengers are still used to deliver messages today although there has been tremendous improvement after invention of writing.
Disadvantages of using messengers.
(a) Messages could not reach recipients on time since the messengers walked on foot to their destinations.
(b) Messengers sometimes forgot the message they were to deliver thus leading to inaccurate messages being passed.
(c) Information could be distorted in the process.
(d) Messengers could be attacked on the way by wild animals.
(e) The distance to be covered by messengers was limited since they walked on foot.