Darius I of Persia completed the construction of the Royal Road around 500 BC, a monumental achievement that spanned approximately 2,700 kilometers from Susa to Sardis. This road was equipped with royal post stations (angareion), enabling mounted couriers to traverse the distance in about a week. The Royal Road facilitated trade, communication, and military movement, significantly contributing to the cohesion and administration of the Achaemenid Empire.

Herodotus marveled that 'nothing travels faster than these Persian couriers,' a line that became a benchmark for speed across ancient literature and was later echoed by writers from Xenophon to John Keats. This emphasis on communication and travel would resonate in poetic explorations of distance and connection.