used couriers to send out decrees throughout the territory of the state (2400 BCE). The earliest surviving piece of mail is also Egyptian, dating to 255 BCE.

The phrase "send a message" or "sending a message" is also used with respect to actions taken by a party to convey that party's attitude towards a certain thing. For example, a government that executes people who commit acts of treason can be said to be "sending a message" that treason will not be tolerated. Conversely, a party that appears through