ABSTRACT
Travel and communication were inextricably entwined. In the face of the overwhelming physical fact, the bulk of any essay on communication in the late ancient world must focus on travel: its modes, impediments, and facilities. The most conspicuous group of travelers was undoubtedly the military, as any deployment of troops entailed mass movement. Business matters spurred other travelers. To the reasons that spurred on their Greco-Roman neighbors, Christians added their own, institutionally specific ones. Many pilgrims traveled in the hope of obtaining tangible blessings. The application of social network theory to early Christianity has illuminated the extent to which pre-existing bonds of kinship, friendship, and patronage encouraged people to travel, write letters, and send gifts. Anyone traveling in the right direction might be pressed into service, or provide a reason for the letter-writing. Travel by sea, as by land, remained largely determined by the necessities of business. From its very beginning, Christianity was a movement of letter writers.
