Ancient Greek telecomms

[Maik]

Ancient Greeks Invented World’s First Telecommunications Device

The hydraulic telegraph, invented by the ancient Greeks, had the capacity to send long-distance messages as early as the fourth century BC.

The ingenious apparatus is dubbed as the world’s first telecommunications device. It was designed for military purposes by Aeneas Tacticus with the purpose of more efficiently sending pre-arranged messages across the vast empire of Alexander the Great.

Operation of the hydraulic telegraph is described in detail in Aeneas’ work on sieges, Poliorcetika, which was retrieved by Polybius. The messages sent were along the lines of: “Enemy on sight,” “Cavalry attack,” “We need wheat,” “Infantry in action,” “Cyclical movement,” and so on.

https://greekreporter.com/2023/11/21/ancient-greeks-world-first-telecommunications-device/