The hydraulic telegraph of Aeneas – long-distance communication of antiquity

Advances in technology have drastically changed the way we live today compared to those of our ancient past. One type of technology that many of us may take for granted is the ability to communicate with others over long distances, or to large groups of people. A look back at ancient civilizations can give us insight today into the very first methods of long-distance communications. In 350 BC, a Greek named Aeneas invented the hydraulic telegraph, which was a means of communicating important, fairly detailed information, quickly over long distances .

I found this very interesting, looks like a very sophisticated system for it's time period.

www.ancient-origins.net...

Fascinating. I'm sure the message list wasn't as closely spaced as in the example image. Then, again, if you need to send a message in a hurry, you wouldn't want it to take very long. From what I read, it sounds like the pointer moved from top to bottom, so the most important messages were probably toward the top.

Fascinating find. Thanks for sharing.

a reply to: nighthawk1954

I imagine the communication rods were "top secret", wouldn't want one falling into an enemies hand during a campaign.

Ingenious system - almost a "one time pad". Eventually, the enemy might figure out what the time delay between different flashes meant. But that would be defeated by scrambling the order of the rods.

Replace the water with a clockwork mechanisms and you could have something steampunk that worked in a similar way.

a reply to: nighthawk1954

We aren't getting any smarter as a species, we're just storing more information. God only knows what else ancient man could have done.

originally posted by: BelowLowAnnouncement
a reply to: nighthawk1954

We aren't getting any smarter as a species, we're just storing more information. God only knows what else ancient man could have done.

This is true. We may have more knowledge today than ancient human civilization had, but we are still the same species they were -- so they shared the same kind of brain we have, and they possessed the same capacity for solving problems and critical thinking that we possess.

Ancient man was equally as intelligent as us. We have additional knowledge, but knowledge and intelligence are two different things.

Great post, but please look at the rest of that website! Amazing, amazing inventions well over 2,000 years ago, including clocks, automated servants, fire engines, calculators. I've been to the museum in Katakalon and it's small but memorable and highly educational and eye-opening. The museum of ancient musical instruments, down the same street, is also incredible. It includes a replica of a working organ played with a keyboard which is astonishing.

The other day I was reading a thread,
And in that thread I saw that it said,
An invention long ago, some dude had made,
A feat of ingenuity was being displayed.

The device used water and signals of fire,
The water was used to push rods higher,
Different messages at different heights,
Signalling safety or signalling fights.

But too few read what was said in this thread,
And I liked this thread so then instead,
An on-topic poem so it might not get dumped,
So this thread just got shamelessly bumped!