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How the Emperor Theodosius received intelligence of what was done in
an incredibly short space of time, and how he was quickly informed of
events taking place far away, I shall attempt to explain. For he had
the good fortune to possess among his subjects a man endowed with
extraordinary energy both of body and mind, named Palladius; who rode
so vigorously that he would reach the frontiers of the Roman and
Persian dominions in three days, and again return to Constantinople
in as many more. The same individual traversed other parts of the
world on missions from the emperor with equal celerity: so that an
eloquent man once said not unaptly, 'This man by his speed proves the
vast expanse of the Roman Empire to be little.' The king of the
Persians himself was astonished at the expeditious feats which were
related to him of this courier: but we must be content with the above
details concerning him.
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